Transcending Time
by Kumiko Seph
Summary: [COMPLETED] The Pharaoh was ready to depart to the afterlife, but something was missing. Someone was missing. Atem/OC
1. Memory

Transcending Time

Prologue

He had been ready to return to the afterlife.

He'd accepted defeat at the hands of his partner, Yugi Moto; he stood before the passageway to the afterlife, hands clenched at his sides, eyes ahead as he stood stiffly. His outward appearance was the picture of calm and collected, but on the inside his heart raced in his chest as he tried valiantly to settle the raging emotions he felt. A bizarre mix of relief, sadness and unease. Relief that it was all over and he would soon be reunited with his ancient friends; sadness that he'd be saying goodbye to Yugi and the others.

And a strange anxious prod in the back of his mind telling him that something wasn't quite right, that something was missing. He'd done everything he needed to do, so why was uncertainty eating away at him?

His questions were answered when he stared into the open gateway and his ancient friends stared back. Initially, they all seemed overjoyed to see that he would soon be joining them again, but as his eyes darted over their faces, searching, he noticed the mirth slowly draining from their expressions.

Atem opened his mouth and paused, confirming that he was correct in his observation before speaking, "She's not here."

Behind him, Yugi perked up as the Pharaoh spoke, and then he frowned. "Atem?"

Atem turned his head slowly, looking over his shoulder at the group behind him, "Eshe… she's- she's not-" the Pharaoh trailed off and Yugi could see Atem's mind working behind his eyes, trying to piece together a puzzle.

"It doesn't make sense", Atem spoke, turning back to the gateway.

"My Pharaoh", Mahad addressed, "Queen Eshe's soul never made it to the afterlife."

"But _why_?" Atem asked, struggling to keep his voice steady from the abounding frustration he was experiencing. After everything he'd gone through with his friends, after saving the world multiple times, he was sure he could finally enter the afterlife and be reunited with _everyone_ he had left behind- including his wife, the queen.

Mahad frowned, "I do not know, my Pharaoh."

There was a prolonged pause as Atem eyed the stone floor at his feet; he searched his memories for anything that could offer an explanation.

* * *

 _The Pharaoh had entered the world of his memories on the day of his coronation. Overwhelmed and confused, he had sat on his throne, surrounded by his priests and advisors, watching the celebrations unfold before him. There was music and there were dancers, crowds of noblemen and noblewomen feasting at banquet tables._

 _He breathed deeply to calm his nerves, and let his eyes travel over everyone in the room, eventually settling on one of the closer banquet tables. Men and women wearing rich, white linen clothing talked animatedly amongst each other; most of them holding themselves in a very conceited way with their noses held high- however, at the end of the table closest to him, there sat a young woman who was graceful and elegant._

 _Her tanned skin was flawless; her slim body was dressed in the finest white robes decorated with a lapis lazuli trim; her long, black hair fell perfectly over her shoulders, complete with an expert braid. She wore jewellery on her arms and hands, and a blue-jewel golden tiara on her head._

 _And on her face, a warm, shining smile aimed in his direction._

 _He was rather stunned by her beaming expression; there was something about her that oddly stood out, a small spark of familiarity that he couldn't quite place._

 _At his prolonged stare, she raised her hand and waved at him gently; he blinked a few times and then reflexively raised his own hand to wave back, a small smile appearing on his face._

 _His attention was drawn away from her when Shimon cleared his throat beside him, the elderly man regarding him with a raised eyebrow, at which the Pharaoh gave a nervous chuckle before turning his consideration back to the celebrations at hand- though he sneaked a glance back at the girl every so often._

 _When the Thief King had disrupted the Pharaoh's coronation, the girl had been rushed away from the danger, along with the many nobles in the room._

 _The Pharaoh hadn't seen the girl again until a while later, after he had encountered Mana. The young apprentice to Mahad had been strolling with him through the palace grounds, and the King had come to learn that Mana was quite a vibrant character, and not only that- but they had been friends for years._

 _They had stopped walking when the Pharaoh saw the girl from earlier appear from around a corner; she spotted the two and smiled, making her way towards them._

" _Mana, that girl- who is she?" the Pharaoh asked while the girl was still out of earshot._

 _Mana regarded him with a bewildered expression, her mouth hanging open in disbelief, "Uh, you're talking about the Queen, right? You're kidding me, Pharaoh, you can't be so exhausted that you'd forget your own wife's name?"_

 _The Pharaoh froze._

 _ **Wife.**_

 _Well, that had been unexpected. His composure was barely intact but he refused to give that away when he turned to Mana with a forced smile and responded "Of course not, I was just joking."_

 _Mana had burst into a fit of giggles, "Oh Pharaoh, you actually had me there for a moment! Of course you wouldn't forget Eshe's name! How could I fall for that?"_

 _He was lucky Mana wasn't too observant or she might have noticed the relief on his face when she'd actually given away the Queen's name._

" _Mana, what in the world is so hysterically funny?" Eshe asked as she reached the two. She smiled brightly at the magician's apprentice; her joy was infectious, after all._

 _The Pharaoh stared at Eshe; now that he was able to see her up close, he noted that her twinkling eyes were a warm, light brown._

 _Mana snickered as her giggling died down, shaking her head and waving her hand "No, no- it was- it was nothing, really." She let out an exhale as she regained her composure._

 _Eshe turned to the Pharaoh, her eyebrows knitted almost imperceptibly at the odd expression on his face._

" _Are you alright?" she asked softly, the concern was audible in her voice._

 _The Pharaoh blinked rapidly for just a moment, "Oh, uh- yes, I'm fine."_

 _Eshe raised an eyebrow, "You're sweating and you're clenching your fists, like you're nervous about something." Her lips curled into a knowing smile, "You know you can't lie to me."_

 _The King blinked in surprise at her perceptiveness and cleared his throat, "I suppose I'm just feeling uneasy after the interruption during my coronation celebrations." He hoped that would suffice as a believable lie- the truth was that his stomach was filled with butterflies as he spoke to her - his_ _ **wife**_ _\- whom he had not known existed until just prior._

 _The Pharaoh didn't miss the way Eshe regarded him with a lengthened look; it was obvious she didn't buy his fib, but she didn't press him for the real reason he was so nervous, to his relief._

 _Eventually, she nodded, "I am sorry you had to witness that… that tomb robber is going to get exactly what he deserves", her expression darkened to a deep frown._

" _Yeah! Just you watch, Pharaoh, I'm gonna freeze him in solid ice with the new spell I learnt!" Mana piped up, raising a victorious fist._

 _The Pharaoh smiled and then nodded to Eshe, "He will not get away with what he has done, rest assured."_

 _Eshe sighed and nodded with a small smile; she took a step closer to him, "I know you will bring him to justice", her smile grew as she added, with a playful lilt in her voice "my Pharaoh."_

 _He inhaled softly at the suddenness of the close proximity, and now that she was mere centimetres away, he discerned that Eshe was about an inch shorter than him. Before he had time to react, she had already leaned in and sealed the gap between them, pressing her soft lips lightly against his._

 _Stunned and unsure how to react, he hesitantly kissed back, and her hand came to rest on his shoulder. It was just a quick peck on the lips, over before it started, and Eshe had giggled at his dazed expression._

" _Ugh, you guys are gross", Mana had grumbled from beside them, arms crossed over her chest and her eyes darting away._

 _This had only caused Eshe to erupt with laughter, and for the Pharaoh to soon follow. Mana sighed and shook her head, before joining their amusement._

* * *

When Atem had learnt his name and his memories came flooding back to him, he recalled everything about his ancient life, about his friends and family, and everything about Eshe. He remembered how he slowly but surely fell in love with her, and it only made him all the more determined to see her again in the afterlife.

But here he was, and she was nowhere to be found.

"I don't get it!" Joey interjected, breaking the grim silence that had befallen everybody in the room. "Where could she be, if not in the afterlife?"

"We don't _know_ Joey, that's the problem…" Téa sighed.

"Well hang on now, let's just think… we all saw her in the Pharaoh's memories. Did anyone see anything out of the ordinary?" Tristan murmured, scratching his head, trying to recall anything that might help.

Yugi shook his head, a frown on his face, "Maybe… we could ask Ishizu if she knows anything…?" he offered falteringly, clearly lacking confidence in his own suggestion.

Atem opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately cut off by the abrupt appearance of blinding light protruding from the gateway.

The others covered their eyes while Atem's grew wide; accompanying the glowing light was a booming, deep voice.

"I am Osiris, God of the Afterlife." The deity spoke, and the group collectively shuddered at his breathtaking presence.

"Pharaoh Atem, you are perplexed at the disappearance of Queen Eshe's spirit. I can tell you that the reason she never took passage to the afterlife is because the circumstances surrounding her death were irregular, and involved dark and powerful manipulative magic."

Atem eyes twitched ever-so-slightly.

"Dark magic?" the Pharaoh whispered, his mind whirring endlessly to try and come up with a possible explanation for what this could mean. He swallowed, "Please, Osiris, where is she now? What must I do to bring her back?"

"Her reincarnation walks the Earth. I will grant you ninety days to find her and return to this gateway. If you do not return, you will never be granted passage to the afterlife and you will remain in limbo for eternity."

Yugi bit his lip at the thought; he couldn't bear to think of his friend in such a place.

"Ninety days!? That's- what, three months? Is that all? She could be anywhere on the planet!" Joey snapped, his fist clenched in annoyance.

"Joey, maybe you shouldn't anger hi-" Yugi stammered, but was quickly interrupted by his friend.

"Atem saved the world like three times, man, can't you give him a little leeway?" Joey continued.

"SILENCE!" the booming voice called, and the group fell quiet, freezing up in unease as the God's voice resounded in their minds.

Atem was unaffected. "Ninety days", the Pharaoh repeated, "Alright. Thank you for allowing me this time, Osiris. I will find her and bring her back."

He bowed his head respectfully and light of the God shone brilliantly in acknowledgement before fading quickly. The entryway to the afterlife began to close and the stone gates rumbled as they came together, leaving the room dim for a moment before everybody's eyes adjusted to the change in brightness.

Atem's gaze dropped with a heavy exhale; he noted that his complexion had returned to the deep Egyptian tan of his original body.

The Pharaoh turned back to his friends, regarding them with a tired expression, and they frowned apologetically at him.

"I'm sorry, Atem… but don't worry. We'll all help you find her." Yugi spoke up in reassurance, and the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Atem nodded and smiled softly.

"Thank you, my friends."


	2. To All Of You

Transcending Time

Chapter One: To All Of You

This bed felt like the comfiest bed Eshe had ever slept in.

Of course, it was the bed she had slept in for several months and there was nothing particularly different about it on this fine Wednesday morning. She had woken up slowly, gently becoming accustomed to wakefulness in the most satisfying way; the bright beams of sunlight peeked in through the curtains of her window, illuminating her bedroom with a soft, orange glow.

Warm, cosy and content.

She was curled up on her side under the cushiony mass of her blanket, revelling in the fact that school was out for summer, and there was absolutely nothing pressing her to get her ass up and out of bed.

"Hey, Eshe, get your ass up and out of bed!" a squeaky voiced called from outside her room.

Eshe let out a long whine, "Leela, please…" her barely audible, disbelieving murmur sounded; speech slurred due to the tiredness clouding her mind.

Leela huffed from outside the door, "Come on Eshe, you _promised_ to drive me to the mall before work!"

Eshe groaned, wanting nothing more than to pull the comforter over her head and lay there for another two hours. "I'm pretty sure I didn't promise you that, Leela…"

Leela's voice rose an octave, "Oh, don't you _dare!_ You said yesterday that you'd take me to the mall, now get your butt up and get dressed this instant!" her wailing was accompanied by a vicious rattling as she banged her knuckles repeatedly against the door.

"Alright!" Eshe finally cried, throwing the blanket back and sliding ungracefully off of her mattress. "I'm up, I'm up! Just stop banging!"

The heavy knocking ceased immediately and was replaced by the cheerful, sickly sweet sing-song voice of her best friend. "Thanks hun! Meet you in the kitchen for breakfast!" followed by the pitter-patter of her footsteps leading away from her room.

Eshe sighed as she glanced up at the clock. Why had she agreed to drive her friend to the mall at 9:30am?

She threw on a pretty, light blue summer dress and admired herself in the mirror as she tied her messy hair into a ponytail; the colour of her dress easily made her tan skin look vibrant and alive. With a quick stretch, she left her room and walked down the hall of her shared apartment.

"Leela, I love you and everything", Eshe groaned, rubbing her eyes free of sleep, "but if you ever knock on my bedroom door like that again, I will throw you out the window, and it's a long way down from the fifth floor so I don't think you'd appreciate that." She entered the kitchen to find her best friend at the dining table, checking her phone while nibbling on a slice of toast.

"Noted", was her friend's response without taking her eyes off her phone, "love you too", Leela added quickly.

Eshe snorted and the two ate breakfast in relative silence.

* * *

"It sure was generous of Kaiba to give you access to a temporary bank account with a reasonable sum of money in it, huh Atem?" Yugi spoke cheerfully, holding up the credit card as he read over the statement that declared the current balance of the account.

"Ten thousand dollars is more than just a reasonable sum! Just what kind of purchases did he expect Atem to make in the three months he's gonna be here?" Téa inquired with an amused chuckle as the three of them wandered through the mall.

"Well, Kaiba was there at the gateway, he heard everything so he knows we're looking for Queen Eshe- maybe he assumed that would involve a lot of travelling expenses? Regardless, we'll have to thank him properly when we next see him." Yugi suggested, folding the statement and slipping it into his shoulder bag. He held out the credit card for Atem to take, but the Pharaoh was lost in his own little world, staring at the crowds of people around them.

"Atem?" Yugi called out. The Pharaoh turned and blinked at his friend, finally noticing that Yugi was holding out his bank card. He reached out and took it, placing it in his pocket.

"Sorry Yugi, I'm just preoccupied…" Atem returned his gaze to the people around them once again with scrutinising eyes.

Téa frowned, "Atem, I know you're determined to find her quickly, but what are the chances she's going to be right around the corner? I think right now we should focus on buying whatever supplies you need, and when we get back to the Game shop later, we can go over everything we know with Joey and Tristan, and hopefully figure out some clues as to where we can find her."

Yugi nodded, "Téa's right, Atem, I know it's hard, but stressing about it won't help. Just relax, and we can get down to business later", the king of games smiled brightly and Atem sighed as he came to a stop.

"I know, you're right. But what if she _is_ just around the corner? I don't want to miss her because I wasn't paying close enough attention…" the Pharaoh murmured, sending Yugi a wavering look.

Yugi shook his head and gave Atem a reassuring look, "Don't think about 'what if', Atem. We will find her, no matter what."

Téa smiled widely, "Yeah! You can bet on it!" she chimed, patting Atem on the shoulder and squeezing it comfortingly.

Atem paused, then smiled and nodded, "Alright. Thank you." he looked up at the clothing store to their right, "So what do I need?"

Téa smirked, "Oh, just leave all of that to me! Clothes shopping is my thing!"

* * *

Eshe followed her friend through the mall, clutching several bags of material purchases; the two had spent almost an hour in the make-up store and Eshe was ready to collapse back in bed as soon as possible. While she didn't mind shopping for cosmetics, what she did mind was how indecisive Leela was when it came to choosing the right shape of lipstick.

Really, Leela looked over ten different shades ranging from dark to pale, and eventually whittled her choices down to three, but even _then_ , it took her a further twenty minutes to decide she wanted all three of them.

Eshe groaned, taking a moment to stretch her back out of it's slouched position, before dashing to catch up with her energetic companion who was pressing her face excitedly to a jewellery shop window, admiring the items on sale.

"Leela, are we almost done? You're gonna be late for work if we stay here much longer." Eshe spoke, tapping her friend on the shoulder to draw her attention away from the shining necklaces, rings and bracelets in glass casings.

Leela raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Esh, you worry too much, babe. I have an hour before work, that's plenty of time!" the squeaky-voiced girl turned back to the jewellery shop window, pointing frenziedly to a silver-chained necklace with a golden-brown tiger's eye gemstone, decorated with tiny rose quartz stones around the centerpiece. "Also, just a hint, that necklace is _beautiful_ and my birthday is coming up", she uttered in a sing-song voice, batting her eyelashes.

Eshe rolled her eyes and then smirked, "Your birthday is like three months away- that's hardly close."

"Um, excuse you, it's exactly eighty-two days away, I'll have you know!" Leela shot back, playfully faking offense with a barely concealed grin.

Eshe laughed, "Right, well, I will certainly keep that in mind." Leela made a noise of happiness, taking her friend's hand as the two continued through the plaza of shops.

Eshe was glad they seemed to be heading for the exit now; she couldn't wait to get back home and laze about on the couch for a couple more hours before her work shift began. She glanced over at the food court and paused as she caught a sliver of black, blond and reddish-pink hair.

"Hey… he looks familiar-"

Eshe was cut off as her friend grabbed her wrist and squealed, "Hey, check it out! There's a sale on hair-dye in there! C'mon girl, I need it!"

Leela dragged Eshe into the hair-care shop to their left in an overabundance of joy as Eshe craned her neck to try and get a clearer glimpse of who she had seen, but to no avail.

Eshe frowned at her friend once they were inside the shop, "Hey, I swear that was Yugi Moto out there…" she trailed off as she watched Leela dig through the basket of price-reduced hairdye and pull out a kit for 'midnight black'.

"Isn't that that boy who got the title for King of Games?" Leela murmured nonchalantly as she read over the instructions on the back of the box.

"Yes, and you _know_ I'm a fan. Can we go and say hi? Pleeease?" Eshe begged, following her friend to the counter as she paid for her purchase.

"But you're the type to talk for _hours_ and I need to be going to work, remember?" Leela pouted; Eshe mirrored her expression and quickly checked as they left the shop to see where the King of Games had wandered off to, but he was nowhere in sight.

Eshe grumbled audibly and Leela snorted, "Esh, I'm pretty sure I heard he lives in this city so you're bound to bump into him soon, but right now, we gotta head home so I can change for work."

With a sigh, the tanned girl nodded, "Yeah okay… fine."

* * *

Eshe sighed as she sat in rush-hour traffic later that evening, having just finished work; it had been uncommonly quiet during her shift. Usually she'd have to deal with the afternoon rush of people but today there'd been very few customers and it was a complete bore.

"This blows", she grumbled, eyeing the heavy traffic ahead. "Why is it so busy?"

Her phone vibrated on the seat beside her and Eshe picked it up to find a text from Leela which read ' _where the heck r u?_ '

The cars were at a standstill so Eshe responded, informing her friend of her little stationary situation.

' _Take a different route back, ur takeout is getting cold!_ ' was Leela's reply.

Eshe followed her advice and as soon as she was moving again, took the next slip-road out into a more residential square. After about five minutes of navigating through the back roads, she passed a colourful game shop, evident by the sign above the door.

"Kame Game?" she hummed in fascination; she had heard the name briefly when a group of young customers had entered her workplace, apparently they had a wide range of Duel Monster cards. Her curiosity was peaked, but the store was clearly closed for the day.

' _I'll check it out in the morning_ ', Eshe decided, wondering if they were selling any rare cards; it had been a while since she'd updated her deck.

* * *

Atem had always been very analytical and reasonable; never one to speak before thinking. Never had there been a time since completing the Millennium puzzle where Atem didn't have useful advice or insight to offer Yugi in a crisis. The Pharaoh always knew what to say, he always knew how to encourage his friends and he _always_ seemed to have a plan…

...Which is why it was rather daunting to Yugi as he sat with all his friends on his bedroom floor, trying to come up with any piece of helpful information while Atem lay on his stomach, head resting in his crossed arms, completely silent and staring at the carpet in endless contemplation. He had barely said a word as the group tossed ideas around, trying desperately to come up with any leads.

Yugi sighed as Atem picked at the floor rug; Téa was staring intently at the notes she had taken, fidgeting with her pen as she occasionally hummed in confusion. Meanwhile Tristan and Joey were pigging out on snacks and sipping soda, failing to contribute much to the already lacking list of ideas, and it frustrated Téa to no end.

She glared at them, "I don't suppose either of you have anything to add to our little investigation?"

At the bland look the two boys gave her, Téa rolled her eyes and huffed, "If you hadn't noticed, we're trying to figure out where to look for Eshe, and it would be super appreciated if the two of you could put your combined brainpower together to present even a _smidgen_ of useful information- OH, who am I kidding?" she trailed off, pressing her palm to her forehead in annoyance.

Tristan swallowed his mouthful of food, "Well, what if we email Ishizu to see if she can help?"

"That's the first thing I did when we got back here. She hasn't replied yet so she must be busy; I'm sure she'll help us out as soon as she has a moment." Yugi explained.

Joey groaned, "Doesn't she realise we're in a time-based predicament over here? How long can it take her to respond to your email!?"

"Well I don't see _you_ coming up with any bright ideas over here, Joey", Tristan muttered, poking his tongue out at the blond boy.

" _Hey_! It's not like _you're_ any help either!"

The rest of the group collectively sighed as Tristan and Joey began wrestling each other riotously, snapping insults back and forth. "Really, you guys?" Téa deadpanned.

Joey jumped up, stumbling back as Tristan attempted to trip him up; the blond reflexively jolted his hand out to grab onto something and accidentally knocked a handful of books and papers off of a shelf.

"Okay, _seriously_ , you guys need to stop!" Téa snapped, raising her voice.

Atem blinked as a stray piece of paper floated down to land in front of his face; he picked it up and his eyes glossed over it frivolously.

He sat up so quickly that he drew the attention of everyone in the room, startled by his sudden movement. "Yugi!" Atem exclaimed, eyes wide as he read over the leaflet in his hands.

"What is it, Atem?"

Atem held up the informational pamphlet to his friends, "This is a flyer from last year on the Egyptian exhibit at Domino Museum- look at this picture here!"

The gang leaned in to absorb the image on the front of the leaflet. "What's that, a necklace?" Joey inquired, blinking curiously.

"Yes, Joey, I've seen this necklace before", Atem smiled excitedly, "It belonged to Eshe! I know this because _I gave it to her_."

The group synchronously made a noise of thrilled relief, grinning brightly at the find.

"This is awesome!" Joey yelled, "I knew we'd come up with something eventually!" He ignored the skeptical raised eyebrow from Tristan and clapped his hands together. "Now all we need to do is just go to the museum and see what we can find out about it!"

Yugi nodded and beamed at the Pharaoh, "You see, Atem? I told you we'd come up with a lead."

"Can we visit the museum tomorrow?" Atem asked, hopeful.

Yugi shook his head, "The museum is closed on Thursdays, and on Friday I'm helping grandpa look after the game shop- but we can definitely go at the weekend!"

"Yeah, we'll all go!" Tristan chimed in, "and then we'll be one step closer to finding Eshe."

Atem nodded in assent, "Yes, we will."

Yugi smiled at the return of confidence in the Pharaoh's expression, and then he laughed as he regarded Joey and Tristan, "If you two hadn't started fighting, we might not have found that leaflet."

"Hell yeah!" Joey exclaimed as he shared a high-five with the brown-haired boy.

"Violence is always the answer!" Tristan cried with a laugh.

"Not quite", Téa grumbled, eyeing the two boys doubtingly.

"Violence is… _sometimes_ the answer?" Tristan offered with a shrug of his shoulders; Téa rolled her eyes.

"Violence is _never_ the answer, except for this _ONE_ exception", she conceded, and the gang laughed in amusement.

 **Notes: Hey, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and thank you to those to added this story to their favourites and/or follow list! I'm glad you enjoyed the prologue and I hope you enjoy this chapter too! If you do enjoy it, I'd really appreciate if you left a review- if you wanna tell me what you like the most about it or if anything bothered you or you have any criticisms then feel free to share them. I'm really enjoying writing this story and I can't wait to get to the parts later on in the story! I have some brilliant ideas ;)**


	3. I Was A Hundred Feet Off The Ground

Transcending Time

Chapter Two: I Was A Hundred Feet Off The Ground

 _Eshe couldn't move._

 _Come to think of it, she couldn't see either. Eshe's remaining senses were heavily dulled; she felt like she was floating in nothingness, a sea of blackness surrounding her as if a heavy smog had settled._

 _She tried to move her fingers, tried to curl them in against her palms, but it was useless._

 _Not even a twitch._

 _She tried to speak, but she could not._

 _Eshe felt a harsh pressure on her lungs, but it strangely did not affect her ability to breathe; despite the darkness around her, it felt as though the air she inhaled was perfectly clear. There was no frenzied panic falling upon her mind, even though she felt that there should be; she was simply content. There was no dread, no alarm, no rush of hysteria._

 _But still, she couldn't move._

 _/Why?/ she thought. /Why am I paralysed? Why am I lost?/_

 _/And why am I so calm?/_

 _At once, a low mumble caught her attention. Far off in the distance, she could make out the muffled noise of somebody speaking, though she could not tell who._

 _It was unfamiliar, and at the same time, she knew she had heard it before._

 _The voice drifted back and forth, and Eshe endeavored to listen, reaching out with her mind to latch on to this foreign, formless murmur._

 _"... Eshe…"_

 _Whoever it was, they spoke her name, and then she could feel gravity dragging her down. It became clear that something was pressing into her back; she was lying on something hard and rough._

 _"... She will remember?"_

 _A second voice, it sounded closer, and hopeful._

 _"She will not." The first voice spoke._

 _"... But, you said…" She heard the second voice speak again, a strange pang of dejection lacing their words. Whoever they were, they were not happy._

 _The voices continued, illegible to Eshe's ears, and slowly they faded into nothing._

Eshe awoke with a start, sitting upright in her bed; she breathed arduously, her right hand pressed to the centre of her chest as she gulped in oxygen. Her left hand tangled in her bedsheets in a deathly grip.

Now that she was awake, the recollection of her dream prodded at her mind discomfitingly and a shudder slid down her back. In her dream, she hadn't been able to move and it hadn't been a problem.

It was a problem now.

Eshe immediately spread herself out, stretching her limbs and taking up as much space as possible in an effort to push the claustrophobic feeling out of her mind. She stretched until her joints popped and cracked and she let out a loud groan which morphed into a yawn.

It was still very early, but Eshe didn't feel like she could go back to sleep now, not after such an unsettling dream. With the gracefulness of a drunken ostrich, Eshe rolled out of bed and and pulled on some warm-weather clothes, ready for the day ahead of her.

Both her and Leela had booked a week off work in order to spend some quality time together, and her best friend had chosen their first destination on the fun-filled week ahead. Needless to say, Eshe was very excited about today.

 _But first_ , she thought, _I'm gonna check out that Game shop!_

Eshe left her room; she could hear Leela singing loudly in the shower, shamelessly off-key and the tanned girl smirked, making her way through to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast.

The telltale sound of Leela using the hairdryer sounded as Eshe finished off her sugary cereal; she returned to her room to grab her deck and handbag, then she slipped her shoes on.

"Leela, I'm heading out for half an hour!" she called to her friend in the bathroom.

"What!?" Leela shouted over the sound of her hairdryer.

"I said, I'M GOING OUT FOR-" the bathroom door was thrown open and Eshe stared at her friend, who was clothed in a pink, fluffy bathrobe, her hair sticking up in all directions from her treatment with the hairdryer.

"You… actually dyed your hair black?" Eshe murmured, blinking in surprise.

Leela raised an eyebrow, "Um, yeah, I did buy the hairdye right in front of you… what did you think I was going to use it for?"

Eshe pouted, "Yeah, I know, but… well, I don't know, just… for some reason I didn't think you were actually gonna dye it. It was nice as it was…"

Leela snorted, "Light brown is too boring for my taste. I wanted to change it up a bit!"

"You never expressed any desire to dye your hair before though- I just think it's- wait…" Eshe's eyes widened and then she smirked, "are you doing this for a _boy_ , Leela?"

Her friend huffed indignantly, "Don't be ridiculous! I wouldn't change my hair for a silly boy!" Eshe raised an eyebrow and then giggled at Leela's irked expression.

"I'm serious! I changed my hair because I wanted to, okay? Besides, you seem to pull off black hair so well. I wanted to try my luck."

Eshe smiled at the compliment and nodded, her friend's reasoning for dyeing her hair rung true. Her friend certainly did look striking with black hair; it contrasted well against her lighter skin tone. "You'll look great with it, Leela. Anyway, I was just saying, I'm heading out real quick to check out a game shop, I'll only be a half hour."

Leela eyed Eshe suspiciously, "Okay but you better be back in time for our trip to the zoo. I _know_ how talkative you are…"

The tanned girl rolled her eyes, "I know, I know. I'll be quick, I promise."

* * *

Eshe parked her car on the corner and strolled over to the entrance of the game shop; the little bell above the door sounded as she entered and the old man at the counter looked up and smiled gently, acknowledging her with a warm greeting; which Eshe returned politely.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" the elderly man asked, and Eshe shook her head.

"Not really, I just wanted to check out what you've got, see if I can't upgrade my deck", she told the man in a friendly tone, and he nodded.

"Well, if you need any help then let me know!"

Eshe smiled widely as the old man went back to reading some gaming magazine and she browsed the shelves with an intent gaze. She raised an eyebrow at the vast display; this collection was impressive. They had everything from beginner booster packs to advanced play cards and expert strategy packs.

Eshe considered her deck to be quite versatile; it had a mix of different monster types and good spells and traps; she had never really focused on a specific strategy as far as her cards were concerned, but instead had many different cards that complimented each other in a way that would help her achieve an eventual victory one step at a time.

She was always looking for more nifty trap cards though; she loved catching her opponents out like a trickster and luring them into a false sense of security. Reaching for the box marked "Advanced/Expert trap cards" she made a noise of disappointment when she realised it was empty; she turned to the man at the counter.

"Excuse me, sir, but I was wondering if you have anymore of the expert level trap booster packs out the back? There's no more on the shelf."

The old man looked surprised and then scratched his head, "Oh dear, my grandson must have forgotten to restock that shelf this morning! No matter, I'll go and check what we have. Bear with me, miss, my back isn't what it used to be!" he slipped off of his chair and flinched a little when he straightened out his posture.

"Oh, it's okay- if it's too much bother I can come back another day?" Eshe suggested; if the old man had a painful back problem then she didn't want him to have to be bending to search through boxes of Duel Monster cards.

"Oh, nonsense! I can handle it! You see, usually I can just ask my grandson to check the storage room but it just so happens he went out with his friends- not a minute before you came in, actually." he continued to speak as he headed into the back of the shop and Eshe called out to him.

"Take your time! I'm not in a rush!"

Leela had told her to return as soon as possible, but Eshe couldn't exactly rush an old man with a back condition, now could she? Besides, she still had plenty of time before they were supposed to leave for their outing.

While he was checking to see if they had any more of the booster packs in stock, Eshe grabbed a few different monster card packs, both normal and effect types; even though she probably didn't need anymore monsters in her deck, she still just loved to collect them.

Opening them was the best part, you never know what exciting cards you'll come across even in basic packs.

She placed her purchases on the counter and waited another five minutes before the old man cried, "Ah-ha! I found them!"

Eshe grinned as the old man returned, carrying a freshly opened box to replace the empty one on the shelf. He allowed her to pick a pack out of the box to place with the others she had decided to buy and counted up the price.

"So, you must be an experienced duelist if you're looking for expert level trap cards", his eyes twinkled happily and Eshe could tell the man liked the card game a lot. Her mouth curled up in a soft smile; there was something oddly familiar about him but she simply couldn't place it.

"I duel quite a lot, I'm definitely an above average player if I do say so myself", she winked as she bragged and the old man laughed.

"Oh-ho-ho! Very confident indeed! You should duel my grandson some time", he smiled knowingly, "He's quite the expert, you know."

"Sure! I'm always looking for new opponents, especially those that'll be a challenge to beat", Eshe nodded.

"That's what I like to hear", the old man chortled merrily as he rung up her purchases.

Eshe paid for her items and turned to leave, giving the man a kindly farewell over her shoulder accompanied by a slight wave of her hand. "See ya later!"

"Goodbye miss! Come again soon!"

* * *

"All right! Where are the tigers at?" Joey exclaimed, holding up the Domino City Zoo map as the gang entered through the front gates of the wildlife park in a flurried crowd of people.

Tristan glanced over at Joey with a raised eyebrow, "Maybe it would help if you held the map the right way up?"

"Oh." Joey spun the map around and then thrust his finger into the bottom right corner of it, "RIGHT HERE! Big cat's enclosure, here we come!"

Téa grabbed the collar of his jacket before he could spring off into a sprint.

"Oh no you don't, we're all sticking together and enjoying a day out at the zoo, and we'll visit the tiger enclosure _last_ , you got that? Don't even think about running off without us." Téa spoke with an air of finality that there was no arguing with.

Joey frustratedly grumbled as he followed the group reluctantly to the (much less exciting in his eyes) Penguin Cove.

Yugi stretched and smiled up at the sunny blue sky, "It's such a beautiful day today! What better way to spend it than at the zoo?" He looked over at Atem who walked silently beside him and observed the distant expression on his face. It wasn't surprising that he was still so focused on searching for his lost love, and Yugi didn't expect him to just push his worries aside for a day for the sake of putting on an enthusiastic front for his friends. Atem was quiet and reserved by nature, after all.

The tanned boy looked up to meet Yugi's gaze and realised he hadn't heard what the other boy had said, "Ah, I'm sorry, what were you saying? I was-"

"You were distracted, I know. It's okay, you don't have to apologise", Yugi smiled at Atem, "If you think there's a chance that Eshe might be here then I'll keep an eye out for her too, and so will the others. Five pairs of eyes are better than one", he winked; Atem smiled and nodded.

"Aww, look at the penguins!" Téa cooed, pointing at the adorable black and white seabirds.

Atem chuckled at the excitable little creatures; thinking that perhaps he _could_ take a few hours to relax and have a good time with his friends. They'd already established that they'd get down to business at the weekend and find out more about Eshe's necklace in the museum, so it wouldn't hurt to ease off a little in the meantime.

It was the first time they were all able to hang out and have fun since Atem received his own body, so why not?

Tristan snorted as one of the penguins managed to trip over it's own tiny feet and flop down unceremoniously into the water. "That one's Joey."

"What!? I don't know how you drew that conclusion, it's nowhere near as dashingly handsome as I am!" the blond snapped with a smirk.

"Keep dreaming, buddy", Tristan responded, slapping Joey on the back.

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Guys, guys, _please_ do not do this here. If you start fighting, we'll get kicked out", Téa grumbled, and the two boys proceeded to glare at each other.

"Well can we at least move on to some animals that are a little more exciting?" Joey asked expectantly, "like the tigers!"

Téa rolled her eyes, "I already told you, we're saving the tigers for last. We can check out the reptile enclosure though, that's just up ahead."

"That's more like it!" The blond exclaimed.

* * *

Atem eyed the snake warily behind the glass; the scaled serpent was coiled delicately in the corner of the tank and appeared to be sleeping.

"Wow, it's pretty", Téa whispered, as if speaking just a decibel louder would awaken the creature.

"Pretty, but apparently deadly", Tristan spoke, his eyes examining the information panel hanging on the wall beside them.

"A venomous viper, huh? It doesn't seem so deadly right now", Joey snorted, pressing his face up against the glass as Yugi raised an eyebrow, a smirk curling at his lips.

"Bet you wouldn't be saying that if there wasn't a pane of glass between you and the snake, Joey!"

Joey pouted, "Right, Yug', I wouldn't even be standing here if there wasn't any glass", the blond admitted, and Yugi giggled.

"I don't think any of us would", Téa spoke, "it's such a shame that something so beautiful is also so dangerous."

The snake in question, an _Echis_ , was reddish brown in colour, with a repetitive and curvy white pattern trailing down the span of it's body; it was a rather small reptile in comparison to some of the others they had seen in the darkened room- it was about twenty inches long and two inches wide.

"Its colour is a warning to its prey. I was told many times back in Egypt to stay away from snakes like this." Atem recalled, cocking his head to the side as he observed the serpent with a narrow gaze.

"Did you see these snakes a lot then?" Yugi asked.

"Only on occasion. I spent a lot of time in the palace gardens but the guards did a good job of keeping them out. They're quite nasty reptiles- ah!" Atem recoiled suddenly as the snake lunged forwards at the glass, stopping just short of crashing into it; it's angry hiss sounding aggressively.

"Whoa!" Joey screeched, jumping back in surprise, "wasn't expecting that!"

The others laughed uncontrollably at the startled expressions on their friend's faces and Atem crossed his arms, looking mildly indignant at being laughed at while Joey ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment.

"I guess the snake heard you smack-talking it, Atem", Tristan laughed.

"Let's just move on", Atem mumbled, stepping away from the venomous snake and heading across the room to the chameleon tank; the rest of the group followed, still giddy about the display.

Upon leaving the building that housed the reptiles, the group continued to some fluffier and far more adorable animals, such as lemurs and meerkats; and then Téa insisted they take a walk through the butterfly house.

Téa had stared in awe at the many, _many_ different colourful butterflies as they filled the room, fluttering everywhere. Joey had stood utterly still, hoping they would all land on him, while Atem and Yugi had had a trouble keeping the butterflies off themselves.

"Why are they all over us?" Yugi had laughed, trying to shoo them away gently, without hurting them.

"Probably because of your hair, man", Tristan suggested, "perhaps they think it's a huge flower."

"That's ridiculous", Atem spoke, giving his head a little shake to stop the insects from landing in his hair.

Needless to say, before the group had left the butterfly house, Yugi and Atem had to closely inspect each other's head to make sure none of the colourful winged bugs had taken up residence in their hair, much to the amusement of the others.

The group had stopped briefly by a more open enclosure to take a rest, and a little while later, Atem had found himself alone.

"Yugi? Téa?" Atem looked up in surprise as he realised his friends had disappeared. With a start, he looked frantically in all directions but he couldn't spot any one of them in the many crowds of people.

He sighed, and let his gaze drop back down to the very lazy tortoises he had been staring at; It was getting to mid-afternoon by now and Atem was feeling a rather tired from walking around all day among so many people, and now his friends had walked away while he wasn't paying attention.

He stood up straight and stretched, continuing down the path with no particular destination in mind, hoping he'd find the group again- it couldn't be too long before they realised he wasn't with them, right?

Atem found himself walking through a maze of individual cages housing exotic birds of all different shapes, colours and sizes; they all chirped loudly at his presence, some flying away as he passed by and some flying towards him curiously, peeking at him through the wired walls of the pens.

He leaned against the fence when he found a rather colourful, large bird in a much wider cage, a _Scarlet Macaw_ parrot- as the information panel suggested. Atem gave a light huff of amusement as the bird cocked its head- staring at him with its beady, black eyes.

"Well aren't you a handsome fellow!" came a sudden voice a few feet away.

Atem looked up in surprise at the exclamation, and then he froze.

The girl beside him noticed his gaze and flushed bright red, "Oh- no, I, uh- I was talking to the parrot…" she admittedly bashfully. In the crook of her arm there was a sketchbook while in her right hand she held a pencil, and Atem could see she had begun to draw the bird before him.

She was dressed almost as colourfully as the bird, and her smile was so very bright.

Atem stared at her, his heart racing.

There she was.

Eshe.

* * *

 **Notes: Heyyyyy, here's a nice update a little earlier than planned because I couldn't wait to post it ;) So, I'm planning on drawing Eshe so that people have a clearer reference of what she looks like since I find it a bit difficult to properly describe a character's appearance, and some people might have difficulty picturing it- when it's done I will post it on my tumblr and link back to it on my profile and mention it in a chapter update so you all know :) And as always, if you read this, please review! The more reviews I get, the more motivation I get, the quicker I can have the next chapter up! :D Thank you so much everyone!**


	4. I Was Scared Of Pretty Girls

Transcending Time

Chapter Three: I Was Scared Of Pretty Girls And Starting Conversations

Eshe flushed at the alarmed look on the boy's face as he stared at her; his eyes were wide and his mouth hung open in what appeared to be... _Shock, surprise, disbelief?_

She raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down as a spark of recognition poked at her mind, "Wait- you're…" she paused as he blinked rapidly for a moment and shut his mouth, he nodded his head almost imperceptibly for her to continue.

Eshe straightened up and frowned, taking his appearance in fully, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were Yugi Moto. My bad. You look a lot like him", she smiled apologetically at him, and noted the undisguised disappointment in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Eshe asked; this boy's behaviour was strangely erratic and his emotions seemed to be all over the place from what she could pick up.

He turned back to the parrot in the cage, but his eyes were downcast, "Yeah, I'm- I'm fine", he stuttered, in a tone that was not at all convincing.

He was most definitely not fine, but Eshe couldn't tell what was bothering him.

"You sure?" She asked, tilting her head to try and catch his gaze again, but he kept turning away to hide his face.

"Yes, I- yes," the boy took a moment to compose himself and then turned back to Eshe with a very strained smile, "You mistook me for Yugi Moto because he is my brother."

Eshe's eyes twitched slightly in narrow suspicion, though her lips curled up in a smile, "I wasn't aware Yugi Moto had a brother… what's your name?"

The boy looked mildly disappointed that she seemed skeptical, but relaxed upon seeing her smile, "Ah, my name is Atem."

"Atem?"

Atem nodded, lips pursed, watching her expression closely; his eyes were deep and his gaze was intense, it was intriguing to Eshe how oddly this boy was acting, as if he was expectant of something.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Eshe", she smiled politely, not entirely put off by Atem's attentiveness; her eyes caught on the pyramid-shaped necklace hanging around his neck and she tilted her head in acknowledgement towards it.

"That's Yugi's necklace, right? I've seen him wearing it before."

Atem followed her gaze and he reached up, curling his fingers around the chain of the necklace in a way that Eshe interpreted as perhaps a nervous tick. "It was Yugi's", he spoke, "Well, it's- I suppose you could say it belongs to both of us."

Eshe nodded gently as Atem continued hesitantly, "So you, uh, you know Yugi?"

"Only by reputation", she told him, "I'm a big fan of his duels, actually. I've seen the televised ones from Battle City and the Kaiba Corp Grand Championship! Oh, they're brilliant, I've always wanted to meet him!"

Atem smiled, this time genuinely, as her eyes flashed in excitement and Eshe let out a chuckle as she scratched the back of her neck, "Sorry, I get a little too enthusiastic when it comes to Duel Monsters."

"Please, don't apologise. It's my favourite game," the tanned boy spoke encouragingly, "do you duel as well?"

"Oh, yes!" Eshe grinned, "I'm not big on tournaments, but I've won my fair share of duels. What about you?"

"I've won quite a few tournaments", he smirked confidently, and Eshe noted that he seemed far more comfortable now than he had just a few minutes ago. Eshe mirrored his smirk and raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive. Which ones?"

"Uh…" Atem stilled, realising that to the rest of the world, it was Yugi who had won all those tournaments, despite the fact that they had done so together. "Oh, you know…" he trailed off, averting his eyes as he gripped the chain of his necklace a little tighter.

Eshe gave the boy an amused smile, "Oh, yes, yeah- I know. I know _exactly_ which tournaments you're talking about."

"Huh?" Atem looked up in confusion.

"Yeah, you see, I'm a mind-reader!" she giggled softly and Atem gave her an exasperated stare at the realisation he was being mocked, which only made her laugh even more.

His exasperation dissolved at the sight of her smile; it reminded him of his time before he became Pharaoh, when he was a more carefree prince and they played in the palace gardens together.

Eshe's giggles died down as she regarded the far-away look in Atem's eyes, his expression was soft and he had a small smile on his face. Whatever it was that was bothering him before didn't seem to be a problem now; Eshe smiled and looked back down at the sketchbook held in the crook of her arm. The parrot in the cage before them remained perched on the branch as it had been when she had begun to sketch it. _Perhaps it was waiting patiently for Eshe to finish drawing it?_

The silence that had befallen the two was surprisingly comfortable, and Eshe was glad for it. If there's one thing she couldn't stand, it was awkward silences. Eshe took a moment to draw the rest of the scratchy sketch of the _Scarlet Macaw_ parrot, which perked up a little as it was awarded her attention once more.

"You're a good artist." Atem spoke, inclining his head down to get a better look of the picture; he was fascinated by how meticulous the quick sketch looked despite how chaotic her pencil strokes were. "It's so detailed."

Eshe grinned, "Thanks. It's all in the technique. I've always found that drawing quick and messily produces a more lively image."

"Are you an artist by trade?" Atem asked; he wanted to find out as much as he could about her life now, and the more he knew, perhaps the easier it would be to help restore her true memories.

She giggled, "No, I work at a confectioner cafe, kind of like a bakery- art is just a hobby of mine. I bring my sketchbook pretty much everywhere, you never know when inspiration will strike." Eshe finished off the sketch, and then turned the page towards the parrot. "How's it look?"

The parrot actually cocked it's head, and gave a squawk, and Eshe laughed, "I think he likes it."

Atem chuckled in amusement; his queen had always had an affinity for birds- it seemed that that part of her had remained strong with her reincarnation.

"So, do you live in Domino or are you just visiting?" Atem inquired curiously, figuring that it was probably a useful piece of information to know.

"Yeah, just moved here with my best friend about three months ago-" Eshe was cut off by a jingling noise coming from her pocket. "Oh, speaking of…" she reached into her pocket to check her phone to find a text from Leela.

"Ah… oops. I should go. I kind of abandoned my friend to draw this parrot and I _think_ she's getting tired of waiting for me in the cafe. It was nice meeting you though, Atem, maybe we'll run into each other again." Eshe smiled at the boy as she packed her sketchbook back into her bag.

"Wait!" Atem said, a little too sharply, "ah, I mean, I was just heading to the cafe too. My friends and I got separated so I'll just meet them there. Mind if I tag along?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, that's fine", Eshe pointed back over her shoulder, "the cafe's this way."

Atem fell into step beside Eshe as she turned to leave; he tried to keep his eyes ahead, but his gaze was drawn consistently towards her. Just an hour ago his mind hand been whirring with worry at how long it would take them to find her, how far they would have to travel, but she'd been right there in the city the whole time. It seemed way too convenient, almost suspiciously so- perhaps it was fate?

Coming to the sudden realisation that Yugi and the others wouldn't know where to find him unless he contacted them, Atem reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone - the phone Yugi had insisted he buy in case of a situation such as this one - and cringed a little at the notification tab informing him that he had eleven missed calls from Yugi.

"Oh…" he mumbled, and Eshe turned her head.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah, my phone was on silent, and I have a lot of missed calls from Yugi. Probably wondering where I've gone." Atem sighed, he hoped he hadn't caused Yugi and the others too much distress by disappearing without a trace.

"Ooooh, you're gonna get told off by your little bro", Eshe grinned, flicking her braid over her shoulder- it was a subconscious action that Atem recalled was something she used to do in her past life.

He nodded, a smile pulling at his lips, "Most likely." Atem sent Yugi an apologetic text asking him and the others to meet him at the cafe. A response came almost immediately- a rather frantic and snappy response at that- and Atem anticipated Yugi would not be overly happy.

"Here we are", Eshe spoke as they arrived at a somewhat crowded shop-cafe; the two walked inside and Eshe raised her hand in a wave toward a girl sat at a small table in the corner, who gave her a quick glance and lazily waved back.

"Are your friends here?" the tanned girl asked and Atem glanced quickly around the room.

"Not yet, they'll be here soon."

"Wanna come sit with my friend and I until they get here?"

Atem smiled and nodded, he followed Eshe to the table where her unamused friend was sat, stirring the contents of her coffee. The girl looked up as they approached and smiled at Eshe, though her expression dropped at the sight of Atem behind her, and she regarded the boy with a scrutinising gaze over the top of her mirrored sunglasses, one eyebrow raised.

Eshe rolled her eyes as Leela went into 'analysis' mode, she was used to her best friend's weird antics. She always did this, with every boy Eshe had ever introduced to her. Leela would immediately view them with suspicion and distaste; Eshe had no idea why and it bothered her to no end that her closest friend had to be so judgemental before even getting to know them.

For the longest time, any new friend Eshe made had, without fail, been subjected to Leela's insistent questioning in order to be deemed either adequate or unworthy of being Eshe's friend.

Leela had toned down the 'overprotective friend' act when she realised how much it upset, and utterly pissed off, Eshe- but that didn't stop her from silently judging any guy she was introduced to.

"Sorry I took so long, Leela", Eshe spoke as they reached the table, pulling her friend's glowering expression away from Atem, "I made a new friend, his name is Atem." She sat down, across from Leela, and pulled out another chair for the boy behind her.

Eshe noted that Atem did not seem at all put off by Leela's unfriendly leering, and instead was giving her a taste of her own medicine, raising a suspecting eyebrow at the hard gaze he was receiving from the girl. His stare faltered slightly when Eshe introduced him as her friend, and he glanced at her with a soft smile, taking the seat offered to him.

"Atem, this is Leela, my best friend."

Leela pushed her sunglasses higher up her nose as Atem spoke, "It's nice to meet you, Leela."

"Likewise", the girl responded stiffly, and Eshe gave her friend a rather vexed look.

Leela shook off Eshe's irritation and smirked, "So, Atem, I take it you're related to Yugi Moto? You look quite similar."

Eshe watched as Atem's fingers once again curled around his necklace chain as he gave Leela a careful look. "Yes, Yugi is my brother."

"Huh." Leela mumbled, "Weird. Eshe never told me the famous King of Games has a brother… and she tells me a lot."

Eshe looked mildly embarrassed as Leela made her out to be some obsessive fan, which she definitely wasn't, "Hey, I didn't even know, okay?"

"Oh, well, I've been living in Egypt for a while now", Atem told them, "I just got back several days ago, actually, I'm spending the next three months here." He smiled confidently as he spoke; he hoped that mixing lies with partial truths would come off as less suspicious, and if Leela was anything like Eshe when it came to perceptiveness, he would have to be cautious.

Leela didn't seem like the type to ignore obvious lies, and since she seemed quite protective of Eshe, he didn't want to come off as a dubious character and ruin his chances of restoring Eshe's memories.

"I see. What were you doing in Egypt, then?" Leela continued, tapping the side of her coffee cup in a fidgety manner.

"Oh, um, well", Atem took a moment to think, hoping his hesitance wouldn't come off as fishy, "I guess you could say I was… unearthing some mysteries."

"Like, archaeological digs and stuff?" Eshe chimed in curiously, resting her head in her hand.

"Not quite. I visited the Valley of the Kings, and I examined an ancient stone tablet. I got to handle some ancient artifacts with the help of some friends of mine. Ishizu and Marik Ishtar." Atem relayed a very loose retelling of the events that led up to his time in his memories, and his train of thought inadvertently landed on Eshe- _Queen_ Eshe.

He looked over at the girl in question, he studied her warm, brown eyes closely, trying to will her to remember her past life.

Of course, it couldn't be _that_ easy, could it?

"That sounds very interesting." Leela drawled, snatching Atem's gaze away from Eshe.

"Indeed. It was very, ah, educating." Atem spoke with a small, knowing smile pulling at his lips.

"You're weird." Leela deadpanned, taking a long sip of her coffee.

" _Leela_ ", Eshe growled at her friend's brass statement, "can you stop with that?"

Leela just shrugged as a self-satisfied smirk rolled onto her face, and Eshe hastily apologised to Atem for her friend's behaviour. The tanned boy gave Eshe an assuring smile, letting her know he was not offended.

"Atem?" a voice called suddenly from across the crowded room, and the three at the table turned to where a small group had entered the cafe.

It was Yugi who had spoke, and Atem motioned with his hand that he'd join them in a moment; the tanned boy turned back to Eshe with an unsure expression.

"My friends are here", he spoke. He looked somewhat torn like he wanted to sit with his friends but didn't want to leave the table, which was quite surprising to Eshe given that Leela had been incredibly rude to him. She thought he'd be eager to escape.

"It's okay, go sit with your friends. We aren't going anywhere yet." Eshe gave Atem a reassuring grin.

Atem stood up, giving a quick nod of acknowledgement to Leela, who rolled her eyes in response, and then he smiled at Eshe, "I'll… see you around."

"Yep", she responded with a wink, and Atem returned to his group of friends.

Eshe beamed as his friends greeted him; the tall blond clapped him on the back with such enthusiasm that it almost sent him tumbling to the ground. She was glad they all seemed happy and weren't scolding him for disappearing; especially Yugi Moto, who didn't look to be fussing over Atem at all.

No, Yugi was looking straight at her with an incredulous expression.

It caused her face to heat up, and she quickly turned back to Leela, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes burning into the back of her head. She searched her mind for any idea as to why Yugi would be regarding her with such a look, but she just couldn't explain it; why had the boy looked so stunned?

It was the same look Atem had given her back at the parrot cage, an expression that she still wasn't entirely able to interpret.

Eshe could clearly see the knot in Leela's eyebrows above her sunglasses that suggested she was glaring at the group.

"What are they doing now?" Eshe asked quietly, twirling her hair braid between her fingers.

"They've all sat down at a table."

"Yeah? Is Yugi still looking at me?"

"No." Leela spoke, and Eshe sighed in relief… until her friend continued to say, "They're _all_ staring at you."

Eshe felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, "What?" she hissed, the creeping feeling of anxiety spiking in her chest at having so many pairs of eyes on her.

"Why are they all looking at me?" She squeaked, keeping her eyes square ahead on her best friend.

"Maybe they're _all_ weird." Leela snorted, tipping her sunglasses down to let the group know she was glaring at them with her striking green eyes.

After a pause, Leela smirked in victory, "Yeah, they aren't looking anymore."

Eshe sighed, "I'm not surprised. You don't have the friendliest glare in the world."

"Well, that teaches them to make _my_ best friend uncomfortable."

Eshe gave a soft giggle, "Hey, I'm sure they didn't mean to make me uncomfortable. Atem seemed really sweet, I'm sure his friends are all good people."

"Are you kidding me? You think Atem was sweet? Eshe, the guy's a loser; didn't you see the way he looked at you? He was the most desperate boy I've ever seen!" Leela snorted again, giving her friend a disbelieving look.

"What are you talking about?" Eshe asked, a pout on her lips.

"First he follows you in here like a lost puppy-"

"Hey, he got separated from his friends and felt comfortable talking to me", Eshe defended, scratching at the back of her neck.

"Okay, but he _literally_ wouldn't stop staring at you, and not to mention- he WAS lying. You picked up on that, didn't you? He was all hesitant, eyes darting around everywhere; you're the one who taught me this stuff! How could you miss it?" Leela crossed her arms as she relayed her observations, and Eshe frowned at her.

"Actually, I chalked that up to nervousness. He seemed a bit jittery when I was talking to him alone so something else was bothering him; I think you were making him a little uncomfortable asking him all those questions."

Eshe paused for a moment and then let out an exasperated groan, "Can we _please_ not profile this boy? He's just a guy I've made friends with at the zoo. There's nothing suspicious about him. Even if he was lying, people have their reasons for not sharing personal information with people they've just met, okay?" she shook her head and sighed, "As always, you're just way too paranoid."

"I am not paranoid, I'm just cautious, Esh. I'm sorry, okay?" Leela gave her friend a pout, bringing forth the puppy-dog eyes to persuade Eshe to forgive her.

With a roll of her eyes, Eshe's frown melted and made way for an amused smile, "Enough with the innocent eyes, Leela, let's just forget about it. I still wanna meet Yugi though."

Leela huffed, "Even after he stared at you with those alarmingly large eyes?"

"Yep." Eshe giggled.

* * *

"You _found_ her! I can't believe you actually found her, man!" Joey exclaimed as the Pharaoh recalled everything that had happened.

Atem sighed, "Yes, but she has no memory of me. I suppose I should have expected that that would be the case."

"But this is still incredible! We were given ninety days and you found her on the _fourth_ day. That gives us plenty of time to figure out how to get her memories back." Yugi beamed.

"Well, hopefully that necklace at the museum will clue us in." Téa raised a surefire finger, "That, and Atem should spend time with her- which won't be too hard if we befriend her!"

Tristan gave a sarcastic laugh, "Yeah, I'm sure we all gave such a good first impression by staring at her like we'd seen a ghost."

Yugi cringed, "Yeah, that wasn't exactly friendly of us…"

"Did you see the way her friend looked at us?" Joey grumbled, recalling the spine-chilling expression the other girl had given them.

"I'm not entirely sure what Leela's problem was with me, but she seems very protective of Eshe… whatever we do, we need to be careful. I don't want to end up accidentally pushing her away", Atem told them worriedly, and Tristan smiled.

"Hey, don't fret! Joey and I can be your wingmen!"

Atem raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Yeah, we'll help you woo her! You just gotta make her fall for you again like in the past!" Joey gave the Pharaoh a thumbs up.

Atem looked a little cynical, "That might be difficult."

"Why's that, Atem?" Téa asked, blinking confusedly.

"Well", Atem sighed, "I knew Eshe for years before we developed feelings for each other…"

Yugi hummed, "I see… but, if we can help jog any memories, then maybe she'll re-establish the feelings she had for you."

Atem looked down as he tapped his fingers on the table, and eventually nodded in agreement, "So… what do I do?"

Téa giggled softly, "Just be yourself, Atem! You're confident, friendly and determined. This is gonna be no sweat."

The Pharaoh brushed a hand through his hair, "Well… I-" he cut himself off as a flash of alarm passed behind his eyes, noticing with a start that Eshe and her friend were on their feet and walking towards the group.

His friends followed his gaze to the two girls and the whole group immediately tried to look as casual and nonchalant as possible.

"Hey", Atem smiled as Eshe stopped beside the table.

"Hi again", she beamed, and briefly glimpsed at the rest of the occupants of the table, "um, Yugi?" she voiced hesitantly.

Yugi looked up in surprise as he was addressed, "Oh, hi, what's up?" he gave her his friendliest smile, hoping that it made up for the fixed look he had given her earlier.

"My friend and I are heading off soon but… I just wanted to say, um, I'm a big fan", she twirled her braid around in her fingers nervously, "I really love your duels, you inspire me."

Yugi's eyes flickered quickly between Atem and Eshe, and he beamed at the girl, "Thank you so much, that's wonderful to hear! Eshe, right?" he offered his hand and she shook it gladly, "So you play Duel Monsters too?"

Eshe nodded eagerly, "Ah, yes! Uh, and I was kind of wondering, if it's okay, can you sign my Kuriboh card?"

She pulled the monster card out of her bag; Yugi looked taken aback.

"You want me to sign it?"

"Is that okay?" Eshe chewed worriedly on her bottom lip but Yugi just laughed.

"Yeah, I can do that. I was just surprised, I've never been asked to sign a card before."

Eshe was delighted, that much was apparent from her expression. She pulled a silver pen out of her bag and handed it over, along with the card, to the King of Games.

"Yugi the celebrity", Tristan mused with a smirk on his face, "you're totally famous!"

"Oh stop", Yugi laughed, a slight red tint to his cheeks as he signed the card, just above Kuriboh's head. He wasn't used to the notoriety that his title awarded him, and it felt good to know that he inspired people while doing something that he loved.

Téa could see from the way Atem was glancing from Eshe to the rest of the group that he was trying to think of some way to befriend the girl, to perhaps casually communicate that he wanted to see her again without saying it outright- Téa thought for a moment and then she formed an idea.

"Hey Eshe, my name is Téa; so if you're into Duel Monsters then what about you take Yugi on in a duel?" Téa smiled a cordial smile, and Yugi glanced up at her before catching on, and he gave Eshe a grin.

"Yeah, how about it? I'd love to see what kind of deck you have", Yugi spoke, handing her back the Kuriboh card.

Atem watched as Eshe took the card back shyly and gave a flustered smile, "D-duel you?" she squeaked, before clearing her throat as her cheeks went red.

"Umm… I… I don't know, I-"

It was at this point that Leela spoke up for the first time behind Eshe and with a roll of her eyes, she told Yugi, "She never shuts up about how much she wants to duel you, honestly."

Eshe was blushing now, standing stiffly, and she glared at her friend over her shoulder as Yugi chuckled. The tanned girl sighed and turned back to Yugi, she nodded, "Yeah, I would love to duel you- I'm just a little nervous", Eshe admitted.

Yugi smiled reassuringly, "Hey, it's okay, you don't have to be nervous-"

"Yeah, Yug' won't bite!" Joey interrupted with a laugh, "and then once you're done dueling him, you can duel me!"

Téa gave Joey a pointedly dubious look, "maybe she doesn't want to duel you, Joey, you ever think of that?"

Joey gave Téa an over-the-top scandalised look and the rest of the group laughed; Eshe visibly relaxed, and Atem gave her an assuring smile as she looked his way.

"In that case, I'd love to duel you, but I'd need some time to prepare…"

"Of course- are you busy at the weekend? You can come by the game shop on Saturday and we can duel then, if you want?" Yugi told her, and he caught the look of appreciation Atem gave him.

"Saturday is good for me!" Eshe exclaimed excitedly.

The excitement was promptly crushed as Leela spoke up once again, "Um, actually no it isn't. We're going to the movies on Saturday, _remember_?" Leela gave Eshe a pointed frown, and the tanned girl looked mildly confused.

"What? We are?" Eshe asked, and Leela gave her a vaguely offended grimace.

"Oh, of course you'd forget", the other girl shook her head, "if you really want to duel Yugi so bad then I can go see the movie with someone else."

Eshe stared at Leela for a moment before smirking coyly, "With a boy?"

Leela sighed agitatedly, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Eshe snickered, and then turned back to Yugi, "Saturday it is! Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but did you say 'game shop'? As in the Kame Game shop?"

Yugi cocked his head curiously, "Yeah, that's the one. My grandpa and I own the place. You know it?"

Eshe burst out laughing, "I was there this morning! That's so weird, I had no idea."

"Wow", Yugi sounded bewildered, and he started laughing, "what a coincidence!"

"Indeed, I had a nice little chat with your grandpa actually", Eshe grinned, "alright, I can come over after lunch on Saturday."

Yugi nodded, "Looking forward to it!"

Eshe put the Kuriboh card back in her bag, "I can't wait, I'll see you then", she took a step away from the table, ready to leave as the group said goodbye. Atem watched her walk away and Téa could see the twinkle of fondness in his eyes, which brought a smile to her face. She wanted Atem to be happy, and she believed that fate was on their side, and Eshe's memories would return in due time.

She hoped.

* * *

 **Notes: I have a link to a drawing of Eshe on my account page- but since ffnet annoyingly doesn't let you insert hyperlinks to other websites, I've had to break up the URL- just remove the brackets from the link and voila! Hit me up on tumblr under the username Kumikoseph and check out the Transcending Time tag for any updates/posts regarding this fanfiction :) I hope you enjoy. As always, _please_ review this story! Tell me something you like/something you dislike- anything that can help me improve and give me the motivation to write quickly and confidently! ;)**


	5. Do You Know About Her Strength

Transcending Time

Chapter Four: Do You Know About Her Strength In Convictions

 _The air was comfortably warm around Eshe as she stood atop the balcony, staring across the vast expanse of the kingdom. The structures across the land, temples, shops and homes, were black silhouettes before the heavy Egyptian sun slowly dipping below the horizon, bathing the sky in yellow, orange and pink._

 _The Nile looked a deep red, reflecting the colours just above the skyline, and she could see flow of the current, small wooden boats drifting slowly through the water, the tiny shadows and black shapes of birds of prey circling the skies in search of smaller animals to feast upon._

 _The smell of sand was strong, and all she could hear were far-off sounds of guards chattering, the noise of horses cantering as they pulled carriages behind them, the crackling of the flames burning just across from her in the firepit, offering light as the sun departed._

 _The heavy burden of grief weighed profoundly on her heart; she felt nothing but pain, sadness, loss._

 _Loneliness._

 _Something was missing, something on her person that should have been there; the lack of a familiar weight around her neck was incredibly unsettling._

 _It took her all too long to notice the shadow flickering to her left. How long had someone been standing by her? She had been too caught up in her mind, too busy thinking about the future of the kingdom that she hadn't registered the sound of footsteps, and the noise of someone dismissing the guard at the balcony entrance._

" _Your majesty", the person spoke, their voice was so soft that the queen barely noticed it. Eshe said nothing, and continued to scan the land before her- her eyes resting on the black figures walking throughout the city, their identities cloaked by the still-harsh light peeking just above the realm. She felt no need to be suspicious of the unknown bodies simply minding their own business; they were surely just Egyptian citizens going about their nightly routine before resigning themselves to the comfort of sleep._

 _But even if they weren't, what did it matter anymore?_

 _...No, she had to stop thinking like that. She had to get it together; the kingdom was relying on her guidance now._

" _Your majesty?" the voice repeated, a little louder, more forceful._

" _What do you want?" Eshe's own voice was barely above a whisper, her words trembling as she spoke._

" _I had hoped I might be able to help you cheer up?" the voice was hesitant, unsure, and Eshe laughed bitterly, her shoulder's shaking as she breathed._

" _Cheer up? Happiness feels like a lifetime away", the queen spoke, her voice sharper now._

" _I understand, your majesty, but I must try…"_

 _The queen shook her head ever so slightly. If she wasn't in such a state of despair, perhaps she would find her subject's attempts at enlivening her again somewhat mirthful._

" _Very well…"_

* * *

Eshe let out a soft noise of anguish as she awoke on the verge of tears; she came back to reality quickly and rubbed her face, and then she lay in her bed quietly as she thought about the events that had plagued her unconscious mind.

It had been a very, _very_ long time since she'd had such incredibly vivid dreams- she hadn't had problems with them since her childhood, and never had they been so melancholic.

Her childhood dreams had long since escaped her memories, but she could recall that they caused a lot of problems in her waking life.

It was irritating, not knowing the context of these sudden disconnected snippets of fantasy; for the past few nights she had roused from her sleep feeling disturbed, confused and even depressed, with no answers as to _why_.

Unexplained and mysterious dreams were always intriguing to her, because there had to be _some_ meaning behind them- something to do with worries weighing her down in life, stress, anxieties- _anything_. Unusual dreams occurred in individuals who experienced big, perhaps sudden, changes in their lives; Eshe didn't feel like anything warranted her slumber to be plagued with miserable nightmares.

That morning, Eshe sat with Leela on the couch, watching television as they ate breakfast together; she enjoyed these moments with her friend, something as simple as watching Saturday morning cartoons always put her in a good mood. She certainly needed it after her despairing dream.

Leela had picked up on it, of course. It was hard to hide anything from her best friend, and the way Eshe had been relatively silent the whole morning was a dead giveaway that something was bothering her.

"Alright, what's up? I thought you'd be talking animatedly about how you can't wait to duel Yugi later." Leela broke the silence as she placed her empty cereal bowl on the side table.

Eshe shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno. Had a bad dream last night and I didn't wake up in the best mood."

"Oh? What happened?"

"Just… it was weird, that's all. I don't really understand it but… remember when I told you I used to have those really vivid dreams as a kid? It felt weirdly similar to that, everything was sharp and clear, the sounds, the smells, the colours. It just made me feel strange", Eshe murmured, frowning heavily at her own cereal bowl.

"I see", Leela sighed, "well, if you wake up in the night and your nightmares are bothering you then you can always come and wake me up. I'm always here if you need me", the girl smiled at Eshe, whose lips curled upwards in the corners.

"You're a good friend, Leela… but I wouldn't want to bother you in the middle of the night. I'm sure I can handle a bad dream", she chuckled.

"Whatever you say", the other girl smirked and stretched, resting against the couch cushions.

As the morning rolled on, Eshe prepared her duelling deck for the inevitable challenge that grew ever closer.

"I'm gonna try my best but I know I'm not gonna win", Eshe remarked as she spread out her magic, trap and monster cards across the dining table.

"Uh, not with _that_ attitude you're not", Leela laughed from her spot across the table; the girl was lazily flicking through a girly magazine.

"I'm just being realistic. He's the king of games. _The King of Games_ , Leela!"

"I heard you the first time."

"Okay, but I'm just saying, he's like, literally undefeated!" Eshe squealed, there was a nervous spike bubbling up in her stomach but by the way she was talking, it sounded more excited if anything.

"Well that's exactly why you should be determined to _kick his ass_." Leela snorted, "Don't resign yourself to losing and all that- yada, yada, blah blah."

"Wow, your encouragement is incredible. You should be a motivational speaker, truly", Eshe grumbled out a facetious remark and Leela eyed her with a dry glare.

"Enough of your sarcasm, young lady." Leela admonished, and Eshe poked her tongue out at the other girl, earning herself a roll of Leela's eyes.

"What if I mess up? I don't want to make a fool of myself…"

"You won't, Esh. You'll be fine; will you quit worrying about it?" Leela wheezed, throwing her magazine down against the table and disturbing the perfectly laid out play-cards Eshe had been scanning. The girl in question pouted, gathering up the cards and shuffling them out of reflex.

"Anyway", Eshe wanted to change the subject to something that was weighing a little on her mind, "this date you're going on, then…"

"UGH. I already told you, I'm _not_ going on a date. That's gross." Leela groaned, leaning over the table to scowl at her friend, though it just invoked a giggle.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just teasing. Is it someone I know, then?"

Leela sat back in her chair and picked up the magazine again, scanning the contents of the page with indifference. "You don't know them, and it doesn't matter, so there."

" _Wow_ , okay, someone's touchy."

"I'm just fed up with your teasing; I'd rather you went back to the crippling worry that you're going to suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of Yugi Moto." Leela drawled, smirking as she spoke.

"Oh, thanks. Thanks so much", Eshe deadpanned.

* * *

It was just after lunch when Eshe entered the game shop, spying the familiar old man sitting behind the counter. She greeted him with a beaming smile.

"Hello, miss! Are you here to buy more cards?" the old man (Mr. Moto, she assumed) spoke to her in a kindly tone.

" _Actually_ , I'm here to duel your grandson, you know- the one that you failed to mention was the actual _King of Games_?" Eshe said, good-naturedly.

Mr. Moto chuckled gleefully, "Well I didn't want to put you off", he teased.

"Hah, I'm never put off when it comes to duelling!"

The old man's eye twinkled as he winked, "Excellent. Go right on through the back- Yugi's upstairs in his room with his friends."

Eshe nodded in thanks as she passed through the back of the shop, coming to the stairs just before the storage room. She could hear the group chattering as she ascended the steps and continued to the ajar door at the end of the hall; she knocked politely as she reached it.

"Hello?" Eshe called, and the door swung open a moment later to reveal Yugi's grinning face.

"Hey, Eshe! Come on in", he spoke politely, stepping aside to welcome her into the room. She could see that all of Yugi's friends from the zoo were there; Téa was sat on a bean bag reading an article in a dance mag whereas Joey and the brown-haired boy - she didn't quite catch his name the other day - must have been playing a very competitive two-player video game if the aggressive snarls they were exchanging was anything to go by.

Atem was there too, sitting at the computer desk and reading what looked like a lengthy email.

They all turned to her as she entered the room and she felt a twinge of discomfort crawl up her spine as all attention was once again on her.

"Hey, Eshe's here! Alright, time for a duel!" Joey cried eagerly, throwing the gaming controller down and jumping to his feet.

"Calm down, Joey, they don't have to duel right away", Téa chided, and then looked up at Eshe with a brilliant smile, "can we get you any snacks or a drink?"

Eshe was glad that Téa had sensed her unease at being stared at, and shook her head, "Oh- no, thanks for the offer though! I had lunch before I came so I'm good."

"Are you suuuuuure? We've got chocolate chip cookies!" the brown-haired boy spoke up, waving a tin of very appealing sweet treats before her.

Eshe bit her lip, "Ah man… okay, maybe just one", she winked as she plucked a cookie from the tin, "by the way, I'm not sure I caught your name the other day?"

"The name's Tristan Taylor!" he announced, pressing a proud thumb to his chest, and Eshe giggled.

Perhaps Leela had been right; she didn't need to feel anxious around this new group of people and she certainly didn't have to worry about being judged if she happened to suffer an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Yugi. Her first impression of these people was that they were all compassionate, companionable and talkative- well, Atem wasn't so talkative it seemed, the boy had done nothing but stare at her in silence since she'd entered the room.

Oddly enough, his incessant gaze wasn't bothering her; he didn't look to be purposefully making her uncomfortable and if anything, his eyes were soft and held a strange tenderness. It was, however, hard to hold his gaze for more than a few seconds. The boy had truly magnificent eyes, striking and unusual in colour.

Well, Yugi's eyes were kind of similar. The younger boy had violet eyes, but his older brother's were regal and a deep purple; he must've been great at intimidating people.

"Wanna play?"

Eshe blinked herself out of her reverie when she realised Joey had offered her the controller and took it with a smirk, proclaiming "Oh, you're on!"

About an hour of extreme gameplay later, the scores were relatively even and Eshe placed the controller down, "That was intense!"

"Yeah it was!" Joey exclaimed, throwing his fists up in a victorious pose.

"So, you ready to duel now, Eshe?" Yugi challenged as he reached over his desk to pull his deck out of a golden box.

"Actually, yeah, I'm feeling pumped!" Eshe stated enthusiastically, reaching into her bag for her own deck.

"Competitive video games are a great way to psyche yourself up for Duel Monsters", Tristan spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone and Téa nodded in agreement.

Atem had perked up greatly at the mention of the impending duel and he actually looked rather excited in his calm and collected manner.

Yugi had been in the process of strapping his duel disk to his arm when Eshe suddenly raised a declarative finger.

"Um, Yugi, I was wondering if we could maybe duel without the holograms?" She spoke, a trace of anxiousness returning to her face, and Atem raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her.

Yugi blinked his large eyes, "Oh, uh, sure. That's fine", he placed his duel disk back down and gave her a questioning look.

Eshe smiled apologetically, "I prefer dueling up close and personal, traditional-style, ya know?"

"Why's that?" Atem asked curiously, and Eshe chuckled nervously as everyone stared at her again.

"Well, I, uh, I just don't want to attract attention if we duel outside. I get distracted easily and a larger audience might put me off." She twiddled her thumbs impishly and chewed at her bottom lip.

Yugi smiled and shrugged, "Hey, it's cool. I understand, we can just duel in here."

Eshe visibly relaxed and nodded, "Thanks, I'm sorry if that's weird-"

"Not at all!" the boy reassured her with a wink.

Eshe and Yugi set up on the floor as the gang circled around in anticipation; Eshe was tranquil enough in the company of the others- small crowds were fine; it was when larger crowds gathered that it became a problem for Eshe and deterred her.

The girl couldn't help but notice that Atem shimmied to claim the spot closest to her; he sat cross-legged, back straight, and nonchalantly played with the hem of his skinny jeans as she began to shuffle her cards.

Yugi and Eshe played a quick round of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine who would star the duel off; Eshe won and claimed the first turn.

"I'll start off by setting a monster in defense mode and placing a card face down", Eshe spoke with determination, locking her eyes with Yugi, a surefire confidence emerging, "and end my turn."

Yugi smirked, a familiar and passionate twinkle in his eyes that always appeared in the heat of a challenge, "My turn, I draw!"

The duel commenced.

* * *

It went exactly as Eshe had expected, she experienced a thorough defeat courtesy of the Game King.

"Yugi wins!" Joey cried as the rest of Eshe's life points diminished. The girl gave a sheepish smile and nodded.

"As I anticipated", she winked at Yugi, "that was so much fun! Thanks for duelling me, Yugi!"

Yugi beamed brightly at her, "Thanks for being a great opponent! You're a great duelist, Eshe, you almost had me there for a few turns."

Eshe bashfully hid her face behind the remaining cards in her hand, "You really think?" It meant a lot to her coming from the King of Games.

For a couple of turns, Eshe had held the advantage, having gotten Yugi's life-points down to 2000, and she had almost believed there was a chance she could beat him, until he had happened to draw an opportune card and powered up his Silent Magician LV5 far greater than any monster on Eshe's side. She successfully had him convinced that her face-down card was bad news, but on the next turn he'd called her bluff and it had just gone downhill for Eshe from there. Still, she had had a very fun time duelling the boy.

"Aboslutely!" Yugi gave her a thumbs up.

"It is clear you have a very strong bond with the cards in your deck", Atem spoke, watching Eshe with a warm expression.

"Yeah, that was awesome!" Téa exclaimed, "you have some really cool monsters in your deck."

"It's a shame you guys weren't using duel disks", Tristan spoke, "I totally wanna see _Alector_ in all his holographic glory!"

Eshe laughed, picking up the card in question. _Alector, Sovereign of Birds_ was her ace monster, her favourite card. He was pretty powerful, with a handy 2400 ATK and 2000 DEF, and not to mention a very neat effect; it was the card she counted on for getting her out of some sticky situations; and often paired with power-boosting cards, he was magnificent. Eshe had to admit that it would be rather amazing to see her favourite monster come to life in front of her.

"Well, maybe next time we can duel with holograms", she suggested, and quickly added, "only if there's not loads of people around!"

"Yeah!" Joey cheered, "and you can duel ME next time!"

Joey's determination to duel Eshe was quite endearing to her, she was sure he would be a fun opponent, "I'd love to!" she told him, and he gave her his most charming grin.

As Eshe collected up her cards, she couldn't help but wonder why Yugi hadn't used his signature monster, _Dark Magician_. Had he just not drawn it?

"Yugi, could I see your Dark Magician card, pretty please?" She asked, giving the boy a hopeful look and clasping her hands together.

"Ummmm", Yugi hummed, looking a little apprehensive all of a sudden, "Well, I, uh, it's not actually in my deck at the moment…"

" _Not_ in your deck!?" Eshe squealed, before covering her mouth quickly and blushing bright red as everyone looked startled, "Sorry, that's just surprising. I thought you always had him in your deck?"

Yugi gave an amused smile, but Atem spoke up as he reached into his deck holder, "It's actually in _my_ deck at the moment."

Eshe stared in awe as Atem procured the card, holding it out for her to look at, and she took it carefully, examining the monster with an excited smile, "So, do you two share everything, or what?" she laughed.

Atem and Yugi shared a look as the younger boy's face held a confused expression, before Atem stated, "We both have a special bond with the Dark Magician, and the Millennium puzzle."

Looking away from the card, Eshe eyes twitched and she shook her head, a weird sense of déja vu brushing against her mind, like she'd heard of it before. "Millennium… puzzle?"

Atem's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, "Yeah… the necklace." He gripped the silver chain connected to the pyramid-shaped pendant around his neck.

"Oh!" Eshe blinked away the dazed feeling that had briefly overcome her and smiled, "Right, I see. And what about the God cards?"

"God cards?" Atem murmured, still caught up in the strange flicker of emotions he'd witnessed in Eshe's eyes, that he didn't entirely register what she was asking.

Eshe raised an inquisitive brow and tore her gaze away from Atem to face Yugi, "Yeah, the God cards… Slifer, Obelisk and Ra?" she was confused for a moment to find the group eyeing her closely, "why are you all staring at me?"

It was Téa who spoke up quickly before Eshe could become even more weirded out by everyone's strange expressions, "The God cards!" she snapped, sneakily kicking Joey and Tristan, and nudging Yugi's arm so they'd quit gawking at the girl.

Yugi smiled nervously, "Oh, right, yes, we have them- well, Atem is holding onto them. They're very important so we don't often duel with them anymore, just in case anything were to happen to them." He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck.

"Fair enough", Eshe nodded, "y'know, when you summoned each of them in the Battle City tournament, it was incredible. I wish I had been there in person to see it", the girl gained a far-away look in her eyes as she remembered what it had been like to witness those duels on TV.

Yugi chuckled, "They were intense, that's for sure", he reminisced.

Eshe had a sudden thought, "So, Atem, you must be a great duellist too if Yugi trusts you to look after those God cards."

Atem let out a soft huff of amusement and opened his mouth to speak but Tristan interrupted before he could say anything, "this guy's a duelling legend!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he's as good as Yugi is!" Joey proclaimed.

"Almost as good", Atem admitted with an appreciative look in Yugi's direction and Eshe smiled softly at them; Atem seemed to be quite proud of his younger brother's achievements as the King of Games, and it completely warmed her heart.

"Have you ever taken part in any tournaments, Eshe?" Téa inquired after a moment.

Eshe hummed, "Well, not any huge tournaments like Kaiba's Battle City or the Grand Championship, but when I was younger, I used to go to smaller events that hosted provincial matches. By the way, and I don't mean to brag, but I was totally undefeated back then."

"What!? That's great! Why not join the big leagues, Eshe?" Joey asked.

"Well, like I said, I have problems with big audiences… back in the smaller tournaments I participated in, the holographic technology for Duel Monsters hadn't even been created yet, so matches were spectated and evaluated by, at the very most, three people."

The group nodded in understanding. "And you were undefeated?" Tristan repeated Eshe's claim.

The girl laughed, "Yeah, I've been beaten since then, but I was the champ for several years."

"That's impressive", Atem spoke, and Eshe flushed.

"Thanks", she giggled, "it's probably the reason I have such a huge ego now, though."

Everyone chuckled, until Joey cried, "Don't worry, your ego is miniscule in comparison to Seto Kaiba's!" and the room was filled with raucous laughter.

* * *

"So, tell us about yourself, Eshe", Téa spoke as she drank from her strawberry milkshake.

The group had taken the bus to the mall after Téa had suggested they go get some fresh air, and were now all sat in an idle, peaceful cafe. Joey and Tristan were seeing how quickly they could demolish an extra-large pizza, but the others seemed eagerly interested in learning about her.

"Well, what do ya wanna know?" Eshe asked shyly, shoving a spoonful of sweet ice cream into her mouth.

"Atem told us you said you've only lived here three months; where did you live before that and why did you want to move here?" Yugi questioned, his large eyes nothing but curious.

"I lived in California in the US with my aunt and uncle, but I always wanted a place with my best friend Leela. As for why I chose Domino… well, ever since I saw your duels, I've wanted to live here. Sorry to weird you out and sound like one of _those_ fans, but being able to watch you participate in tournaments _in person_ sounded very exciting to me", she admitted, mildly abashed.

"I'm not weirded out, it's flattering", Yugi assured her with an uplifting grin.

"What about your parents?" Atem asked.

"They died when I was a baby. I lived with my aunt and uncle pretty much my whole life", Eshe told them.

Atem nodded, looking down at the table, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine, I was less than a year old, I really don't remember them." Eshe gave Atem a look of reassurance, letting him know that it didn't bother her.

"Don't you miss your aunt and uncle?" Yugi asked.

Eshe snorted, "Nope. I didn't have the best relationship with them, honestly. They got pretty sick of me", she spoke, smiling bitterly at her ice cream.

"What do you mean?" Téa was frowning, and regretted asking as soon as the words came out of her mouth- she didn't want Eshe to talk about it if it made her upset.

Eshe shrugged, "I was a problem child", she laughed at the incredulous look from the others and offered an explanation.

"I wasn't a _bad_ kid, I just had a lot of issues", she paused for a moment, running a hand through her hair, suddenly self-conscious at the fact she was over-sharing, but the others seemed too curious now.

"Alright, so, my aunt and uncle took me to Egypt when I was five years old, and from what I can remember, I got sick and after that I just suffered from horrible nightmares, for _years_ ", as Eshe spoke, Téa gave her a sympathetic look while Yugi and Atem looked overly-concerned. "Anyway, I saw a therapist, took some meds, and eventually the nightmares stopped. But the whole ordeal gave me a bit of a delicate temperament, and my relationship with my aunt and uncle got rocky. Leela was the only friend I had who actually put up with me..."

She trailed off and frowned nervously as the others regarded her with rather dumbfounded stares; she cleared her throat and put up her hand defensively, an anxious giggle bubbling out of her mouth, "I got over all of it, though! I swear!"

"Wow", Yugi was the first to speak, he glanced at Atem with a thoughtful look and then smiled positively at Eshe, "we're not judging you, Eshe. I'm sure terrible nightmares are enough to drive anyone mad."

Eshe laughed, "Oh, you have _no_ idea!"

Tristan and Joey looked up from their huge, half-eaten pizza and seemed to comprehend that they'd missed a huge chunk of conversation as they nursed their painful, aching stomachs.

"Who, what?" Joey groaned, "What did we miss?"

"I'm not repeating my tragic backstory again", Eshe joked, and Yugi and Téa laughed while Joey and Tristan just shared terribly befuddled look.

Atem stared pensively at his hand as he tapped his fingers against the table, immersed completely within his thoughts.

* * *

 **Notes: I'm so sorry if there's any spelling/grammar errors/things that don't make sense in this chapter. As I post it, I am feeling really ill, so I'm going to read through this chapter tomorrow and edit any errors. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

 **EDIT: Corrected a couple of grammar errors. I wanted to say that I will only include duels that are really important to the plot, otherwise I will not being writing out scripted duels because... well, they would just get a little boring and completely slow down the pace of the story! ;) Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to review, it would mean a lot to me!**


	6. I Keep Telling My Reflection

Transcending Time

Chapter Five: I Keep Telling My Reflection

Eshe had arrived home by the time seven o'clock in the evening had rolled along, and was somewhat alarmed to find Leela was not yet back from the movies. There was nothing to suggested the girl had returned and then headed out again, so where could she possibly have been all day?

So, Eshe had sent her a questioning text on her whereabouts and promptly crawled onto the couch to wrap herself in a blanket and watch tv.

As she flipped the channel to some rerun of a ludicrously theatrical medical drama, she let her mind wander back to the events of the afternoon.

Eshe had spent a few hours getting to know her new friends properly; Yugi had been happy to talk about all of the duels he had partaken in since the Duelist Kingdom tournament hosted by the creator of Duel Monsters himself, Maximillion Pegasus, and she'd listened intently to every small detail, soaking it all in.

Some of the things they had told her sounded unbelievable, though their body language and the way they spoke could only suggest they were telling her the truth. Yugi and his friends had duelled against some dangerous individuals, and had come out on top every time; it was impressive, but she was daunted by some of the stories they told her. There had been opponents who had tried to kidnap them, steal from them, and even physically hurt them.

" _It's not always fun and games_ ", Yugi had said with a serious expression, and Eshe had sat back in her chair and digested that information.

There was clearly a lot more to the Duel Monsters card game than she had believed. Upon seeing Eshe's uneasiness over the knowledge that her new friends had faced some hazardous foes, Téa had quickly changed the subject to something a little more light-hearted.

Eshe had learnt that Téa was hoping to follow a career in dance, and then she happily retold the tale of a time she'd beaten a man named Johnny Stepps in a game of DDR, even after he had tried to cheat his way to victory.

" _I wish I could've watched you put that guy in his place_ ", Eshe had laughed, and was delighted upon hearing that the man had retreated from the arcade in embarrassment soon after losing.

Joey had told Eshe that his relationship with his parents wasn't the greatest, and that he could relate in that respect with regards to her problems with her aunt and uncle. It felt good to know that if she ever needed to talk about it, there was someone who could actually _understand_ how she felt.

Rarely did Tristan duel, Eshe had discovered, but he was always there for every single one of Yugi's, cheering him on in the background, and once again Eshe was moved by how wonderfully supportive this group was.

When Eshe eventually turned to Atem and asked him about his time spent in Egypt, the boy had faltered and his eyes had darted between the others at the table, before he'd cleared his throat and told her pretty much what he'd said at the zoo. He refused to go into detail and simply deflected the subject when she inquired about specifics.

It was a little irritating, in all honesty, the way Atem really did seem to be hiding something from her; Eshe could no longer use Leela as an excuse as to why the boy had seemed so uncomfortable talking about his adventures in Egypt, but Eshe couldn't wrack her brain for a clue as to why he acted as such.

She had let it go, not wanting to push for explanations when the boy clearly did not want to talk about it.

" _Eshe"_ , Yugi had spoken up after a minute or two of mildly awkward silence, " _if you want to learn about Egypt then why don't you come with us to the museum tomorrow? They have a great exhibit!_ "

Yugi had briefly shared a knowing smile with his brother - Eshe couldn't help but feel like she was left out of the loop - and the girl did not have the heart to tell Yugi she didn't really care to learn much about Egypt as much as she wanted to learn about _Atem_.

Nevertheless, Eshe had already made plans with Leela for Sunday, so it didn't really matter. She had politely declined, but thanked them for the invitation.

" _Maybe another time_ …"

She definitely didn't imagine the flash of disappointment in Atem's eyes as she spoke.

Now, she sat on her couch, cocooned in a soft blanket, ready to decompress after a long day of socialising. Téa had exchanged mobile numbers with her, and the girl had promised to text her to organise the next time they could hang out.

Eshe was happy to have made so many new friends in such a short time; and not only that, but they all seemed to be good people.

If only she could figure out what Atem's deal was.

Her thoughts were cut off as her phone vibrated and she picked it up, viewing the text she'd received from Leela.

' _Just outside_ ', it read, and moments later Eshe heard their apartment door open.

"Where the hell have you been?" Eshe called out, adding a tone of motherly disapproval to her voice.

She heard Leela's exasperated sigh as the girl pulled her trainers off and walked into the room; the girl regarded her with a tired look. "Catching up with old friends is hard work."

Eshe snorted, "You must've had a lot to talk about."

"You have NO idea", Leela whined, collapsing onto the couch beside her. "Anyway, how was your day? Did you beat Yugi at Duel Monsters?"

"Of course not", Eshe laughed, "but the defeat wasn't as embarrassing as I imagined it would be. His friends are wonderful- well, I suppose I'd call them _my_ friends now."

Leela was silent for a moment and Eshe looked up to see her friend eyeing the television with a tight-lipped expression and knotted eyebrows.

"Oooh… you're _jealous_ , aren't you?"

"I am not jealous."

"Yes you are. You're jealous. Jealous that I made some cool new friends", Eshe spoke in a sing-song voice, eyeing her friend knowingly, and the girl turned on her with a heavy glare.

"I am not jealous", she repeated.

Eshe smirked, "Sure you aren't."

* * *

Atem sat at the computer desk in Yugi's room, scrolling down the browser page to find the email Ishizu had sent earlier that day. They hadn't had time to read the lengthy page of information she had offered, in response to Yugi's follow-up email regarding the necklace, before Eshe had arrived.

Spending the day with Eshe had been a success; they'd shared a few of their adventures with the girl, omitting anything about magic and soul-stealing artifacts, of course- and they had learnt a lot about her. It was intriguing to Atem that there were so many similarities between Eshe's modern incarnation and her past life, and yet at the same time, there were so many differences.

Yugi shuffled to a more comfortable position from the spot on his bed, his eyes scanning the informative leaflet that advertised Eshe's necklace.

"Atem… do you think Eshe's childhood nightmares are at all relevant to anything?"

Atem glanced up from the computer screen, giving Yugi a thoughtful look before shrugging his shoulders ever so slightly. "It's possible."

"It's just, she said she started suffering from those nightmares when she visited Egypt with her aunt and uncle. It seemed too coincidental. I can't help but think it might somehow be connected?"

The Pharaoh's eyes slid shut contemplatively, "Perhaps… you may be right." He hummed as he entertained the possibility, "We'll draw a conclusion when we have more to go on."

Yugi nodded, "Let's see what Ishizu has to offer us", the boy jumped up and leaned against the back of Atem's chair.

With his eyes scanning the screen, Yugi began to read the text out loud.

 _Yugi, please accept my apologies for taking so long to respond; I have been searching everywhere I can for useful intelligence on the subject of the necklace you inquired about, and I have managed to uncover a moderate amount of information regarding it. The necklace was discovered in 1924 by a French archaeologist named Louis Dace Moreau; and was transferred to the Museum of Cairo, where it remained until just two years ago, at which point it was moved to Domino Museum._

 _The archaeologist, Moreau, dubbed the necklace 'The Lost Lavalliere' by virtue of it being discovered in the unmarked grave of a young man. Moreau found it suspicious that the expensive piece of jewellery was in possession of a peasant, and theorised that the necklace had been stolen from its original place of burial and planted post-entombment within the anonymous grave._

Yugi paused as Atem's hand clenched, and he gazed at the hard look in the older boy's eyes.

"Tomb robbers?" Atem suggested; the tone of his voice seemed callous at the idea that his wife's tomb had been ransacked by lowly thieves.

Yugi inclined his head in acknowledgement, a sympathetic frown on his face, "It's unfortunately very likely." He continued to read.

 _On the subject of the Pharaoh's wife, I have ascertained that a tomb belonging to an Egyptian Queen by the name of Eshe was discovered in 1906 in the Valley of the Queens. At the time, archaeologists and Egyptologists were stumped as there was no indication of which Pharaoh she was wed to- but now I believe it's safe to assume that King was Atem. The tomb, which was uncovered by an Italian Egyptologist named Marco Schiaparelli, was found to contain a vast collection of treasures._

 _I intend to dig deeper to see if I can find any further info on Eshe's tomb and will get back to you as soon as I find anything valuable. If you have any questions in the meantime then I will be happy to help in any way that I can._

Yugi's brow furrowed as he finished reading and Atem let out a sigh.

"Atem, if her tomb was discovered with a vast collection of treasures then maybe her necklace wasn't stolen by tomb robbers after all? I mean, they would've taken more, surely?"

Atem pursed his lips, "Or the necklace was not buried with her."

Yugi blinked, a confused pout on his face, "Why wouldn't it be? Something is just… not right about this."

"Indeed."

Yugi straightened his posture and stretched, letting out a loud yawn, "Well, tomorrow we might unwrap more of this mystery. Let's get some sleep for now."

* * *

 _Eshe rode fast on her horse away from the palace, leaning as low as she could in a desperate attempt to avoid wind resistance. She had to go faster; she had to find him._

 _The sky was black and the stars were dim; an ominous breeze brushed against her skin and through her unruly hair, there had been no time to braid it. No time for anything, she wasn't riding briskly enough for her liking. The sense of urgency pressed at her mind, she struggled to keep her breathing under control; she had to remain calm, but it was so hard given the possibilities of what had occurred in her absence._

 _She rode past the wreckages of the kingdom, drinking in the aftermath of the vicious battle that had taken place. There was fire, homes burning, Egyptian citizens screaming, children crying, but Eshe's eyes were ahead._

 _The great demonic beast had disappeared from the skies mere minutes ago in a golden flash of light and a hellish screech; and Eshe wasn't sure whether to be relieved or terrified. She had overheard the guards talking about the monster; they'd called it 'The Dark One'._

" _Look, it's the Queen!"_

" _Where's she going? It might still be dangerous out there!"_

" _But where's the Pharaoh?"_

 _Eshe's pace did not falter when she heard the disbelieving gasps of villagers as she rushed through the city on horseback. Her pace did not falter as she passed by the dessicated corpses of the Pharaoh's brave soldiers._

 _Nothing would stop her, not until she found him._

" _Atem", she breathed as she rode out of the city and into the desolate expanse of desert, "I will find you." It was quiet now, there was no crackling fire like there was in the city, there were no screams of injured souls; no abandoned, tearful children searching for their parents. The fleeting breeze was biting at her exposed skin; she was not appropriately dressed to be riding out into the desert at night, but there had not been time to change._

 _The moon was the only source of light, illuminating the battleground ahead. Eshe might have regarded the scene as peaceful if it weren't for the daunting implication of the silence._

 _The further out she scouted, the more dead guards she spied littering the ground, the higher the bile rose in her throat. So far, there was no trace of her husband, and there was anxiety bubbling in her chest; if she didn't find him soon, she didn't know what she'd do._

 _A familiar cawing call to her right drew her attention; a black crow flew along beside her at an impressive speed. Eshe's breath hitched in her throat._

" _Sabiya, help me find Atem!" she begged, and the crow beat it's wings in response, lurching higher into the night sky for a wider range of view._

 _She had to find him, she had to know he was okay._

Eshe let out a shuddering breath, digging the heel of her hand into her stomach in a hasty attempt to quell the stabbing anxiety pains within her. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she rolled over and reached for the blanket she had kicked off of herself in her slumber.

Another strange dream; they were becoming a little excessive and redundant, especially when they happened _every goddamn night_. This one was a little different, it had a miniscule slice of context; she had been searching for somebody amidst what seemed to be an immense battle… and that somebody she had been looking for was Atem.

It was normal to dream of people you meet in everyday life; but she had not technically seen him in her unconscious visualisation; she had merely called out to him, and was met with silence.

Again, the unyielding question of _why_ prodded at her mind. Why had she envisioned such a dream in the first place? It was connected to the others she had been having; they all appeared to take place in the same ancient setting.

Perhaps it wasn't something to dwell on; it wasn't real, after all.

* * *

Atem and Yugi waited at the height of the steps ahead of the Domino Museum that morning. Yugi stood patiently, hands in his pockets, glancing up the road every so often while Atem stared at the entrance, arms crossed, subtly tapping his foot against the ground.

They'd agreed to meet the others outside the building but Téa had texted Yugi a little while prior informing him that they were going to be late because their bus had broken down, and they were currently waiting for another.

Yugi could sense Atem's impatience; and he couldn't blame the older boy. After reading over the material Ishizu had provided, Atem had become sufficiently antsy at the knowledge regarding the improper burial of Eshe's necklace. Yugi had been mulling it all over in his head since last night, and he could only assume that Atem had been doing the same, possibly driving himself mad thinking about it.

' _We'll draw a conclusion when we have more to go on_ ', Atem had told him, but that didn't stop Yugi from inventing possible scenarios in his head that might explain this mystery, and knowing the Pharaoh like he did, he knew the older boy was ignoring his own advice and ruminating fruitlessly on the clues they had attained.

A fair judgement on Yugi's part, given the way Atem had stared at nothing for drawn-out periods of time with a glazed look in his eyes.

"Hey guys, sorry we're late!" Téa's voice rang out, startling Yugi out of his thoughts; he watched as Tristan and Joey clambered up the steps behind Téa and they all took a moment to catch their breath.

"It's okay, you couldn't help it. But we're all here now so, shall we?" Yugi responded with a smile, motioning the entrance of the museum.

Joey clapped his hands together, "Yeah! Let's go see this necklace!"

Yugi had filled the others in on Ishizu's email last night via the group chat, and the three of them had been just as stumped as he and Atem were.

The group made their way inside, Atem was a step ahead of the rest of them; his eagerness was clear and Yugi had to put in an effort to keep up with him.

Joey snickered, not having too much trouble keeping up pace due to his long legs, "Hey, slow down Atem, the necklace isn't going anywhere."

The Pharaoh halted as he realised some of his friends were lagging behind and smiled apologetically over his shoulder, "Sorry, I'm a little restless."

"Don't sweat it, man, we get it." Tristan chimed, patting Atem on the shoulder.

The five of them entered the Egyptian exhibit, which was unluckily packed with people.

"There's a lot of people in here…" Téa groaned, her eyes scanning the room for the display they were after, "we'll have to mind what we say."

If anyone caught them referring to Atem as Pharaoh, or make any references to the boy living in Ancient Egypt, their sanity _might_ be questioned.

All the display cases in the room were impeded by groups of children and adults huddled around and gawking at the ample assortment of ancient jewellery, artifacts, clothing and carvings.

"Do you guys see the necklace?" Yugi asked.

Joey and Tristan gazed over the mass of people in the room, trying their best to locate the necklace; before turning back to the others and shrugging.

"Well, I guess we'll have to make our way around slowly. Keep your eyes peeled", Yugi spoke, and the group proceeded to inspect all the displays in the immediate vicinity.

Téa observed the array of jewellery that was tastefully arranged within the showcase; there were beautiful bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, crowns and other various adornments.

' _I bet it would be great to be decked out in all these trinkets',_ Téa thought; she recalled the Pharaoh had looked very elegant in the world of his memories, dressed in treasures fit for a King. Queen Eshe had looked just as exquisite and stylish.

"If I were a necklace, where would I be…" Téa hummed to herself. Looking up from the glass cases full of pretty knickknacks, she caught sight of Atem across the way, standing behind a group of adults whose faces were pressed tightly up against a display case. She stifled a giggle as he rose to his tiptoes in a dire attempt to see over them; it wasn't going to happen, the Pharaoh was far too short.

Téa looked past Atem and noticed a security guard standing by an archway to another room, and had a thought.

"Guys, I have an idea, why don't we just-"

"Split up and cover more ground?" Joey suggested, growing impatient at not having found the artifact immediately.

Téa rolled her eyes, "Actually, I was going to say, why don't we just ask that man over there?"

Tristan frowned, "Huh… why didn't we just do that in the beginning?"

Téa snorted, "You boys are never ones for asking for help, are you?" she quipped as she headed across the room, the boys following, somewhat indignantly, behind her.

"Excuse me, sir, we're looking for a specific artifact. I believe it's called _The Lost Lavalliere_?" Téa smiled brightly at the guard, who looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Oh, that necklace? It's just through here", he pointed a thumb over his shoulder to the room through the archway.

Téa grinned, "Thank you!"

The security guard nodded as the group entered the room; it was thankfully a lot less crowded in there, and the gang could immediately see the bright display which housed the very artifact they were after.

Atem gasped as he caught sight of it; he gripped the chain of the Millennium Puzzle as he felt an undeniable pull drawing him closer to the necklace, as if his Puzzle and Eshe's pendant were connected.

It felt strange to see it in front of him after three-thousand years. He stepped up to the casing, the rest of the group standing back behind him, and he gazed at the item he had had specially forged for his Queen.

It was in impeccable condition for having spent three millennia underground, it was still flawless and intact as the day it had been created. It was presented on a bust; the chain was made of golden links, and the centerpiece was a ring of gold, and within that - a crow carved out of lapis lazuli.

It shone brilliantly, and as he stepped closer, he realised the feeling of anticipation and culminating energy bubbling in his chest was the Millennium Puzzle vibrating with power in response to the proximity of Eshe's necklace.

"Do you feel that?" Atem asked the others, not taking his eyes off the piece of jewellery within the protective casing.

"Feel what?" Yugi asked.

Atem turned and grabbed Yugi's wrist, placing the boy's hand on the Puzzle; at Yugi's expectant and confused look, Atem frowned.

"You don't feel it?"

"I… don't think so?" Yugi wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to be feeling, and Atem let out a hum.

"I can feel a thrum of magic energy coming from the necklace", the Pharaoh explained, turning back to the casing.

"What, you mean like, dark magic energy?" Joey asked warily.

"No", Atem clarified, and smiled, "this magic is familiar, and it is the reason this necklace is so well maintained after so long."

The Pharaoh closed his eyes, recalling just _why_ exactly Eshe's necklace pulsed with vitality.

* * *

" _My prince, are you sure about this?" Mahad asked, his tone apprehensive as he cleared some space on the table before him._

 _Atem nodded, "I am sure. I want this to be special for Eshe. It's my engagement gift to her, after all." The prince placed the necklace gently down onto a soft pillow upon the table, protecting it from blemishes._

" _There are other ways to show your love for her."_

" _I have decided", the prince declared, "I'll do this with or without your help, Mahad."_

 _Mahad regarded the young prince with a lingering stare and gave a resigned sigh when he realised he couldn't change the boy's mind. Besides, the magician did not want Atem to attempt the spell alone; one wrong incantation and the prince could be seriously injured - that was the last thing Mahad wanted._

" _Very well, my prince."_

 _Atem smiled victoriously, "what must I do, Mahad?"_

 _The magician pulled up a chair and placed it at the edge of the table facing the piece of jewellery, "for you own safety, please sit, and relax."_

 _Atem did as he was advised, he sat in the chair and placed his hands on his knees, awaiting further instructions._

" _This spell will infuse a fraction of your life energy with the necklace and bestow magical protection against dark wizardry upon it. In consequent, you may feel exhausted or unwell once the transference is complete, however, it will only be temporary. If your decisiveness wavers at any point before the transference stage begins, signal me and I will stop immediately."_

 _The magician watched Atem closely as the young boy sighed in exasperation, "I know, Mahad, I researched this spell properly!"_

" _I simply prefer to be certain you understand any and all ramifications of using this enchantment."_

" _I do understand", Atem insisted, his eyebrows knotting in frustration, "can we please get started?"_

" _Listen to me, Atem", Mahad reiterated more sternly, "if anything goes wrong, you could get hurt. Do you understand that?"_

 _Atem's expression softened and he nodded gently, "I trust you, Mahad. Tell me exactly what I need to do."_

 _Mahad inclined his head in approval, "Okay. When I begin the incantation, you must keep your complete focus on the necklace. You will feel the life-energy in your body begin to shift and you must try your best to channel it into your hand. Once this process is complete, the transference will begin, and you will have to commit. It might feel strange and unpleasant; your life-energy will not depart from your body so pliantly, it will put up a fight."_

 _Atem nodded again, soaking in this information, "Alright, I think I'm ready."_

" _Then I will begin."_

 _Mahad moved to stand behind Atem, reminding the boy to keep all his attention on the necklace before him. The magician inhaled, exhaled, and began to chant the incantation with perfect diction._

 _Seconds passed and Atem felt nothing; he did not take his gaze off the necklace, eyeing it heavily and determinedly. Seconds turned into minutes, and the prince's fixed stare did not waver._

 _Just when Atem was about to inform Mahad that nothing was happening, he felt a sudden jolt within his chest, and inhaled sharply at the odd feeling. The prince concentrated on propelling the buzzing energy towards his right hand, and slowly but surely he could feel the power travel in waves up to his shoulder and down his arm._

 _Atem vaguely acknowledged that Mahad's words had changed and he prepared himself for the upcoming stage of the enchantment; his arm shook as the energy pooled in the palm of his hand the boy figured this is what Mahad meant when he said his life-energy would not behave so pliantly to his wishes._

 _The prince's hand gleamed with a radiant gold aura, and Mahad paused in his chanting to tell Atem, "now, my prince, touch your fingers to the necklace and drive your energy into the pendant."_

 _Atem raised his shaky hand and pressed his fingertips to the lapis carving planted within the gold of the amulet. At once, it felt as though a force was pushing his hand away, and his life-energy was trying to stream back up his arm; he urged the power back, coercing it through his digits and into the jewellery._

 _It took all his willpower not to pull back his hand as he felt his arm begin to burn with the intensity; but after what felt like an eternity, Mahad completed the enchantment, and Atem lurched forward in his chair as a sudden rush of nausea hit him like a runaway carriage._

 _The prince gagged as he pushed back the urge to throw up; his hand gripped the edge of the table like a vice, his knuckles turning white from the tension._

" _My prince, are you alright?" Mahad's voice sounded distant as Atem's vision swirled undesirably and he let out a groan, afraid to open his mouth._

" _Would you like to lie down?"_

 _Atem nodded eagerly; the padded recliner was across the room but he didn't know how he would maneuver his body towards it in his current state._

 _Luckily, he needn't have worried, as Mahad lifted the boy into his arms and carried him to the seat, placing him gently into the comfort of the pillows._

 _The magician wordlessly propped him up with a cushion behind his back and offered him a pitcher of water, which Atem gratefully accepted._

 _Once the prince was sure he wasn't going to empty the contents of his stomach, he sighed and rubbed his now pounding forehead, "that was… interesting."_

 _Mahad smirked, "I'm rather impressed you remained persistent."_

" _It worked? The spell was complete?"_

 _The magician nodded his assent and Atem smiled, glancing over at the necklace on the table; he could feel the soft thrum of energy it steadily emitted._

* * *

"I imbued the necklace with my own life-energy, perhaps that is why only I can feel it emanating", Atem explained, turning back to his friends.

"That's… crazy", Tristan murmured, staring wide-eyed at the necklace within the secure case.

"That's freakin' awesome!" Joey exclaimed.

Téa had her hand pressed against her cheek as she smiled, "That's so _sweet_!"

Atem huffed amusedly, a small smile on his face, before he turned to Yugi with a more serious expression.

"We must bring Eshe here. If she's in close proximity to her necklace, then perhaps it might restore some of her memories", the Pharaoh spoke, and Yugi nodded in agreement.

"It's certainly worth a shot", the younger boy spoke.

* * *

 **Notes: I hope you enjoyed the exposition and my overuse of the words 'information' and 'necklace' in this chapter. If you want to read more of this story, PLEASE review! Even if it's just one line! :) All reviews are motivating!**


	7. The Paint Peels And Slowly Falls

Transcending Time

Chapter 6: The Paint Peels And Slowly Falls

In terms of creativity, Eshe was experiencing a very productive morning.

Several papers were scattered haphazardly across her desk, all with impressively detailed images devised with graphite, and the incessant noise of pencil scratches filled the room.

The drawings were scruffy and spontaneous as Eshe hurried to transfer the subjects of her dreams to paper before they faded from her mind; on one page, an elegant crow with it's wings outstretched and blurred slightly to imply the feeling of motion, and on another page a horse galloping swiftly through a burning village, shadowy figures looking on from the sidelines.

Then there was her current drawing, a balcony lit by a blazing fire, two silhouetted figures looking out over a quiet kingdom.

She moved her leg perpetually, bouncing her knee so restlessly that her chair squeaked as she drew; the girl chewed habitually on the fingernails of her free hand and leaned slightly into the radiant light of the sun permeating through her bedroom window.

 _Scratch, scratch, squeak, squeak._

Eshe heard the telltale noise of Leela's footsteps as she came down the hall, stopped briefly outside her bedroom door, before continuing through to the living room, and the tanned girl smirked. Her pencil scratchings and the squeak of her chair as her leg jittered were obvious signs that she was fixated on etching, and Leela knew better than to disturb her during this moment, unless the girl wanted to be scolded with some colourful language, that is.

With a final flick of her pencil, Eshe sat back in satisfaction, looking upon her work contentedly; it certainly felt good to draw some of the scenes from her dreams, it seemed to relieve some of the nerves they brought with them. During her childhood, her therapist had suggested she keep a dream journal, in which she would write and draw whatever she saw when she slept; the contents of said diary were worrying, to say the least.

As a child, Eshe filled the journal with troubling depictions of tortured souls; lifeless bodies, demonic beings, detailed sketches of herself surrounded by the embodiment of fear.

She recalled her therapist, a wise middle-aged woman who never felt the need to baby her, had been confused about some of the pages, which were covered almost entirely in black scribbles till there was almost none of the white paper showing through.

" _Eshe, can you tell me what these pages mean?_ " her therapist had asked her.

" _They're my dreams_ ", young Eshe had responded, equally as confused.

" _Would you tell me more about them?_ "

" _In my dreams, I can't see, but I can hear myself screaming and I feel like I'm lost. I don't like them… they scare me, they make me feel like I'm being crushed._ "

Eshe would always remember the disquieted expression on her therapist's face, even despite her attempts to cover up her unsettlement. After that, she'd been referred to a psychiatrist and prescribed medicine to help subdue her anxiety, though her nightmares continued for many more years.

The images that plagued her sleep did not end until she was twelve years old, and since then she had rarely dreamt at all; but now, at eighteen, Eshe feared that her nightmares were returning.

Instead of seeking advice from a doctor, Eshe decided she would simply draw; after all, the medicine the psychiatrist prescribed her had been pointless and she didn't want to go through another psychological analysis only to be offered the same useless drug treatment.

Eshe took her drawings and grabbed the brand new sketchbook she had bought, and carefully adhered the images to the pristine pages.

The sudden rumble of her stomach made her glance up at the clock; it was almost lunchtime and she'd skipped breakfast in favour of her creativity streak. Eshe carefully placed her sketchbook back within the confines of her tote bag and stood, stretched her limbs, and plodded out of her room still clothed in her pyjamas.

With a melodramatic and rather loud yawn, Eshe entered the living room.

Leela sat on the couch with her feet resting on the coffee table, she looked up as her friend walked in.

"Sup, girl? What works of art did you create on this fine Wednesday morning?" Leela spoke with a comical accent, and Eshe snorted in response.

"I've started drawing things from my dreams again", the tanned girl admitted as she slinked into the conjoined kitchen, opened the fridge, and searched it for something to eat.

"Are they bothering you that much?" Leela sent her a look of concern and Eshe shrugged it off, declaring that it wasn't something her friend needed to worry about.

"Not as much as they used to. I've had a few bad ones this past week but nothing too devastating, not like when I was a kid. But just in case they start getting worse, I want to have my own personal record of them all", Eshe explained, returning to the couch with a yoghurt.

"Personal record? Why's that?"

"I don't know, it just feels better to draw them. It's like, if I put it down on paper then it doesn't _only_ exist in my mind, you know?"

Leela nodded, "that makes sense. But remember, you can talk to me if you need to", the girl affirmed and Eshe smirked.

"I know, I know! Now, what's on tv?"

The pair of friends channel-surfed until they found a vaguely amusing sitcom to pass the time with.

"Are you doing anything this afternoon?" Eshe asked the other girl when she placed down her yoghurt pot.

Leela shrugged, not looking up from the television, "well, I need to do some shopping and I was thinking of getting a manicure." She looked at her somewhat uneven nails and wiggled her fingers. "You wanna come with me?"

Eshe glanced sheepishly down at her own fingernails, which were in tragic condition after she spent the whole morning biting them; she hummed undecidedly, "I don't know…" she mumbled.

Leela raised an eyebrow at her, "you've gotta admit you need it."

"Shhhhh", Eshe hushed, "I hate getting manicures though, it's so _boring_ ", the girl complained.

Leela smirked, "fine, have your gross, chipped fingernails."

"Ugh, I don't care about having pretty fingers, okay?" Eshe grumbled, "it's not like I've got anyone to impress."

"You have me, don't you?"

Eshe snickered, "yeah, but I already have your assurance that you wouldn't abandon me even if I looked like a trash can."

Leela laughed, "As long as you don't stink like a trash can, we're good. Anyway, what about you? You got plans for today?"

Eshe opened her mouth to inform her friend that she planned to sit around doing nothing the whole day when her phone chimed on the coffee table. She took a moment to read the message and then grinned.

"Huh, looks like I _do_ have plans today. Téa's just invited me to the museum with the rest of the gang." Eshe sent the girl a confirmation message, and then looked up at her best friend to find her pouting at the television.

"Oh, don't be like that. You know you're my top gal", Eshe winked, and a smile pulled at Leela's lips, though the knot in her eyebrows still remained.

* * *

Eshe's phone dinged as she pulled up in the museum's carpark, it was a text from Leela, which was weird given that she'd just left the flat about ten minutes ago.

' _Be back by six o'clock! Movie marathon night?_ ' It read, and Eshe let out a huff.

' _We'll see, depends if the others want to do anything else_ ', she sent back; she switched her phone to silent and slipped it into her pocket as she exited her car.

She spotted the group as she climbed the steps; Joey and Yugi were talking quite animatedly about something, _probably Duel Monsters,_ while Tristan and Téa listened in, not as chatty as the other two. Atem saw her first, smiling at her as he met her gaze; he was fidgeting with the chain of his Millennium Puzzle again - something he liked to do a lot, it seemed.

Eshe grinned at his cordial look, the boy definitely looked more approachable when he wasn't staring at her pointedly with his striking eyes.

"Hey guys!" Eshe called, gaining the attention of the rest of the group; they all turned and grinned.

"Hey Eshe! I hope you brought your deck with you cause I wanna duel ya later!" Joey exclaimed, he poked a pointing finger at her chest and she smirked up at him.

"Of course I brought my deck! Never leave home without it", Eshe playfully swatted his hand away, "you better be prepared cause I'm not gonna go easy on you", she challenged him.

"Well, _I'm_ not gonna go easy on _you_!" he crossed his arms smugly and gave her a sly grin.

"Well good, cause you'd get your ass beat otherwise", Eshe shot back, matching his devious smile.

"OH! Well you just wait because-"

"Jeez, is this what we look like when Joey and I fight?" Tristan asked the others over the not-so-serious dispute happening before them.

Téa snorted, "Yeah, and now you know how I feel!"

Atem watched in amusement at the comical and light-hearted skirmish between Eshe and Joey; he let out a soft chuckle as Yugi stepped between the two apprehensively to 'break it up'.

Eshe truly had not changed, he thought, she retained her mischievous tongue-in-cheek demeanour from her past life - something that Atem always adored about her. She could always take a serious situation, turn it on it's head and bring optimism to everyone around her.

"Okay, you two, we get it, you're both gonna duel like your lives depend on it! Let's go inside already!" Yugi laughed, and the group cheerfully turned to enter Domino Museum.

"So, how about we check out that Egyptian exhibit, huh?" Téa suggested, sending a knowing wink to the others.

"Yeah, I heard there's some _great_ artifacts in there", Yugi replied, matter-of-factly, motioning to the specified exhibition room down the large hall.

"No way!" Eshe exclaimed, "let's check out the prehistoric display first. I wanna see some dinosaurs!"

The rest of the group paused in their movement and Eshe almost walked into Téa; the tanned girl raised an eyebrow as the others all shared what she could only describe as a minorly exasperated expression.

"Do you all have something against dinosaurs?" Eshe joked with an impassive look.

Atem pursed his lips and scratched his head awkwardly, "We should… see the Egypt exhibit first", he spoke carefully, searching his mind for a good excuse, before offering his brightest smile "because it has the best display here!"

Eshe regarded him with an impish look, "well then, we can save the best till _last_ ", her tone was whimsically melodic and Atem cleared his throat, eyes shifting towards Yugi, who shrugged apologetically.

Tristan laid a hand on Eshe's shoulder, "hey guys, it's cool, we've got all day. Let's go see some dinosaurs!"

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Eshe grinned up at the brown-haired boy and raised her hand for a high-five.

At the resounding clap, Eshe and Tristan turned to skitter into the prehistoric section, and Atem let out a conceding sigh. You'd think that spending three-thousand years trapped in the puzzle would help his tolerance for waiting, but given the time limit he'd been allotted by the Gods, he felt as though he couldn't spare a minute.

"Well, guess we better catch up with them…" Yugi murmured, a look of amused resignation on his face.

"I'm just glad it's a lot less crowded in here than it was the other day", Téa spoke as they followed after Tristan and Eshe in the dinosaur exhibit.

Atem nodded, "that is certainly a relief."

As they walked into the wide hall, the Pharaoh's eyes widened at the sight of the large skeletal structures displayed beyond the obstructing railings scattered around the room. There were several fully assembled skeletons of different types of dinosaurs, but one stood out moreso due to its great size.

"Check it out, guys! It's huge!" Tristan called out, waving his hand to motion over the rest of the group.

Eshe stood below the long neck of the primordial creature, reading the description panel with piqued curiosity; she looked up as Atem wandered towards her with his head craned up to observe the remarkable skeleton.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Eshe spoke, smiling knowingly at the boy. It doesn't matter how old you are or what your interests might be - dinosaurs are fascinating to _everyone_.

Atem smirked, "it's impressive."

Eshe laughed, "and _you_ wanted to see the _Egypt_ exhibit…", her tone was giddy and good-natured.

Atem huffed, "the pyramids are more impressive", he declared complacently, crossing his arms.

" _Oh_ , I'm sorry, is there an _entire_ pyramid hiding in the Egyptian exhibit? No, I didn't think so", Eshe poked her tongue out at the boy and he chuckled with a shake of his head.

Atem looked back up at the head of the dinosaur and Eshe followed his gaze, "It's called a Diplodocus. It's one of the longest known dinosaurs; the biggest discovered length is twenty-seven metres long. Pretty scary, huh?"

Atem shrugged, "I've experienced more frightening creatures."

Eshe raised an eyebrow, sending Atem a skeptical look, "what would that be then?"

Atem bit his lip, realising he'd once again backed himself into a corner; he couldn't tell her he'd battled a ruthless and powerful dark being named Zorc, could he?

After a moment of thought-fetching, he smiled sheepishly, "I've fought duel monsters more fearsome than that beast."

It had the desired effect, Eshe burst out laughing.

"Alright", Eshe spoke, after getting back her bearings, "how about prehistoric sea monsters?"

"Prehistoric sea monsters?" Atem echoed, head tilted slightly with intrigue.

All of a sudden, Eshe grabbed his wrist and started dragging him to the opposite end of the hall; Atem glanced back to the rest of the group as he allowed himself to be guided away and grew somewhat flustered at the roguish, suggestive looks Joey and Tristan were giving him, while Yugi gave him a thumbs up and Téa simply winked.

"Uhm, where are we going?" Atem stumbled slightly as he turned back to Eshe.

As they arrived at the entrance to a much darker room, Eshe released his wrist and pointed up at the sign above the door that read _Prehistoric Fish_.

"We're going to see some creatures ripped straight from your nightmares", she exclaimed way to happily, and Atem blinked at her with a dubious look.

Atem followed Eshe into the cave-like alcove which was scarcely lit; the room had a blue tinge to it and over the speakers there were ambient noises of bubbling sounds, waves and water droplets all echoing to give this illusionary feeling of the deep ocean.

Again, there were huge skeletal recreations of archaic animals, and Eshe led him to the largest one there. The model was roughly thirty feet long and about a metre and a half wide, and looked very bony indeed.

"That is a Kronosaurus, the longest teeth in it's mouth measure 11 inches long", Eshe read off the wall panel, "imagine taking a dip in the ocean and this thing comes and swallows you in one bite!"

Atem shook his head, hands in his pockets, looking entirely unimpressed, and Eshe smirked, "Okay, how about…"

She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back across the room to another tank, "...this gorgeous critter!"

Atem recoiled at the exceptionally realistic model of a crude looking sea monster.

"This is a Helicoprion, isn't it cute?" Eshe snickered.

"It's _repulsive_ ", Atem spoke, utterly disgusted by its appearance, much to Eshe's enjoyment.

The creature was part of the shark family, with lifeless black eyes, but the most off-putting thing about it was the whorl of teeth protruding from its bottom jaw that appeared comparative to a buzz-saw.

"Aw, don't be mean", Eshe cooed, "he just wants to be your friend!"

She nudged Atem closer to the tank and now he was laughing, inclining his body away from the glass, "I don't want to be his friend."

"But why?" Eshe continued in a far-too-dramatic questioning fashion.

"There's just something fishy about him."

Eshe paused, processing what the boy had said, before bursting out laughing in a mix of mirth and genuine surprise, "I didn't pin you as a joker", she snorted through her giggling.

It was true; until now he'd come across as a little aloof in Eshe's eyes, so when the boy made a pun, it was entirely unexpected.

Atem shrugged with a smile, pleased to have made her laugh.

* * *

"Alright, show me the glory of ancient Egyptian history", Eshe commanded gaudily as the group finally led her into the final exhibit.

"I'm sure you won't be disappointed", Yugi spoke pleasantly.

Atem hung back behind Eshe and watched her closely as she observed the collection of multiple-millennia-old items through the glass. She hummed in intrigue as she stared, captivated by the beautiful trinkets and baubles before her; she admired the stone carvings and the paintings on clay pots, delightfully surprised at how colourful they were.

She paused as she came to array of mannequins draped in linen clothing- the material was in a far too contemporary state to be real, so she deduced it was just for show.

To the left it displayed plain and lesser clothing, marked generally as peasants apparel, but to the left there were dresses, tunics and skirts decorated colourfully with mixtures of gold, blue and purple.

"Very regal", Eshe remarked delightedly.

"These are clothes that royals would wear", Atem informed her as he stepped up beside her.

One of the models donned a red cape, "I have to say, I'm digging the cape. Why did they ever go out of fashion?" Eshe questioned rhetorically, "People should wear capes."

She turned to see Atem smiling at her strangely and her face turned sheepish, "What? Capes are cool…"

Atem chuckled, "I agree. Capes are cool."

Eshe smirked, "So, are you super interested in all things ancient Egyptian? I assume that's why you lived there for so long?"

"Sort of", Atem answered.

"Did you study about it when you were in Egypt?" Eshe raised an inquisitive brow, and Atem blinked.

"No- I didn't. I just… know stuff", he looked away stiffly, hoping she wouldn't ask him a series of questions that he couldn't answer.

"Okay, Mr _I Know Stuff_ ", Eshe looked around the room and spotted a cabinet featuring a multitude of strange looking masks. She stepped towards them and Atem followed behind her curiously.

"What can you tell me about these weird things?"

Atem looked up at the series of masks in the case; some of them were structured to mimic the form of a human face, and others were shaped like animal faces. He noticed Eshe was stood purposely in front of the information panel and was giving him an expectant look. She was challenging him, challenging his knowledge.

The tanned boy smirked, all too happy to dazzle the girl with his vast understanding of the Egyptian civilisation.

"The ones resembling faces are funerary masks", he pointed to a specific mask within the cabinet, "this one is made of cartonnage. It would be a death mask for lower-class Egyptian citizens, but these ones-" he motioned a much more glamorous mask, "these are made of gold, bronze, and other precious metals, and they were made for kings and queens."

Eshe nodded, and remained silent, hanging on Atem's every word with riveting curiosity.

"The other masks were made in the visage of Gods- they are ritual masks and were worn by priests and priestesses during religious ceremonies", Atem turned to Eshe as he finished and then added, a little smugly, as an afterthought, "any questions?"

Eshe scratched her chin thoughtfully as she nodded; she spared a glance to the information panel to find that it revealed more or less what he'd said and smiled, impressed with his insight.

"They're a little creepy", she murmured, "what are they for? Like, what purpose did they serve?"

Atem huffed in amusement, "The ritual masks were worn as a way for priests to bestow upon themselves the power of the Gods, while the dead wore them as an assist to transform from the mortal realm to that of the divine."

Eshe cocked her head, "Huh." She peered up at his face and held his gaze wordlessly; his mouth twitched up into a soft smile at the prolonged eye contact and that was enough to make her look away, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

She found the way Atem spoke to be quite pleasant, especially when talking about a subject he had more awareness in; up until today, he'd been more of a silent observer when she spent time with the group. He'd come out of his shell a bit and loosened up, it seemed, and Eshe was a little charmed to say the least.

"Hey, guys!" came Téa's voice from across the room, and the two turned to her.

The others of the group had left Atem and Eshe alone again as they'd walked off by themselves, but now Yugi, Téa, Joey and Tristan stood at the archway conjoining the hall to another room.

"There's some cool stuff in here we should check out", Tristan pointed into the room with a wink.

Atem smiled at Eshe and motioned with his arm as if to say 'after you', and the girl gave a slightly timid look, clasped her hands together bashfully and led towards the rest of the gang.

"What's in here then?" Eshe asked as the others stepped aside and directed her to the opposite end of the room.

"Something really cool", Joey answered with a grin, which became sheepish under Eshe's quizzical eyes.

Eshe glanced around and her eyes naturally landed on the centre casing which housed a gorgeous necklace. She stepped up to the display, drawn in by the piece of jewellery, and tilted her head.

"It's called the Lost Lavalliere", Yugi spoke from behind her.

Eshe pulled her eyes away from the necklace for a moment to regard Atem with a smirk, "what can you tell me about this, Atem?"

Atem blinked, "Uhm, well…" he stuttered, stepping up beside her to the pedestal where the display case sat, "It's a necklace made from precious materials, gold and lapis, so… it would have been an expensive piece of jewellery."

Eshe nodded, looking between Atem and the artifact as he spoke.

"Egyptians prized lapis lazuli; it was a stone of religious significance and it reflected the high status of those who wore it. It was reserved mostly for the attire of pharaohs, but-"

"But?" Eshe prompted him, confused as to why he'd cut himself off.

"But, due to the carving in the lapis, I would presume that this necklace was a gift between lovers."

Eshe leaned forward slightly to inspect the necklace and eyed the centrepiece to find the image of a familiar animal.

"A bird?"

"A crow", Atem specified.

"How can you tell it's a crow?" Eshe asked, raising an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

Atem cleared his throat and seemed a little stuck for a moment until Eshe smirked and stated "Let me guess… you _just know stuff_."

The boy chuckled and nodded, "Right."

Joey spoke up suddenly as he leaned in between the two from behind them, startling Eshe, "Aren't crows supposed to be like a bad omen or somethin'?"

Téa hummed and added, "Yeah, I thought they were symbolic of death and misfortune."

Atem shook his head, "In modern cultures, that may be true, however, the Egyptians regarded crows as icons of loyalty, devotion and faithfulness."

"Oh!" Eshe gasped, "because crows are monogamous birds."

Atem smiled fondly, "Exactly."

Eshe bit her lip, "That's so sweet! So this was like a gift from a king to someone he loved?"

"Precisely."

The tanned girl glanced at Atem and caught a saddened look on his face, which he immediately suppressed when he realised she was watching him; but Eshe had seen it.

Eshe stored the odd expression away for later and turned back to the pendant encased before her.

"You know, it's weird, it kind of looks familiar. I think I've seen it before…"

Eshe groaned as she was suddenly hit with a pounding headache; she raised her hand to her temple and rubbed it slightly in a vain attempt to soothe the pain.

"Eshe?" Atem's voice sounded beside her, a hint of concern around the edges of his words.

The girl gasped at the intense pain building in her forehead and the edges of her vision began to blur slightly and her eyesight appeared to grow fuzzy.

"Eshe?" Atem repeated, and his voice sounded far away.

The room began to spin, and Eshe blinked.

" _Eshe."_

 _Eshe blinked rapidly as a strong swell of emotion bubbled up from within her stomach when Atem spoke her name, and delicately procured a beautiful pendant._

 _The prince smiled softly as Eshe stared at him questioningly, and spoke, "I would like you to have this, as a token of my loyalty and love for you."_

 _The princess's mouth opened, and closed, and then opened again, "Atem- I… It's stunning…"_

 _She didn't know what to say; the necklace looked expensive and was so expertly crafted, it was unlike any piece of jewellery she had ever seen._

" _Then it's perfectly fitting for you", he grinned, and motioned to her neck, "May I?"_

 _Eshe nodded, still in awe, and held up her hair as Atem circled behind her to secure the pendant around her neck; he stepped back to admire her as she wore it._

" _Your beauty is unmatched", the prince grabbed the bronze hand-mirror from her bedside table and held it up to show her how it looked, "do you like it?"_

" _Atem", Eshe breathed, and her exhale morphed into a soft laugh, "I love it."_

 _Atem nodded, placing the mirror down; he stepped towards her and affectionately lifted her chin with a finger, "I'm glad", he whispered, and kissed her._

"Eshe, say somethin' girlie!"

Joey's voice startled Eshe and she blinked away the blackness that was creeping in swirls around her peripheral view.

"Wha?" she murmured confusedly, her breath quickening as her eyes darted around.

Atem's hands gripped her upper arms firmly to steady her, and she looked up to see him stood beside her, watching her carefully, a spark of distress in his eyes. Joey stood on her other side, a hand on her shoulder; he'd been waving his other hand in front of her face.

"Are you back with us?" Yugi asked worriedly from behind Joey.

"Uh, yeah… what happened?" Eshe murmured; the pounding headache remained and she held her temple and tried to ignore the pain.

"It looked like you blacked out, you were just standing there unresponsive", Tristan spoke from somewhere out of her sightline.

"Sorry, I…" Eshe shook her head, "I don't know why that happened…"

She turned slowly away from the pedestal where the necklace sat, and Atem kept a substantial hold of her, probably worried she might keel over.

If the returning fuzziness around her vision was anything to go by, she just might.

"Do you need some water?" Téa asked, pulling a sealed bottle out of her bag, ready to offer it to her.

"I need to… sit down."

She refused to acknowledge the weird hallucination she had experienced just yet.

* * *

 **Notes: Téa is the mum-friend. Also, shoutout to MetallicalyLove for being an awesome person and giving me a lot of help and motivation with this story. You rule! To everyone who has reviewed so far, thank you SO much! I read every single review I get, even if I might not respond to each of them. I love getting reviews to be sure to do so if you are really enjoying this story ;)  
**


	8. It Was The Heat Of The Moment

Transcending Time

Chapter Seven: It Was The Heat Of The Moment

"I might actually pass out."

Atem hadn't let go of Eshe's arms since she'd started swaying on her feet; and now even as they sat on a bench in the main hall of the museum, his hold tightened and he watched her with scrutiny.

Eshe couldn't look at him without remembering her odd daydream, in which the boy had presented her with the beautiful necklace and then kissed her. She couldn't believe her mind conjured up such an image; she'd only met him a week ago and although he seemed sweet, such a daydream just didn't make sense to her.

But it had been so vivid, and she had felt so sentimental out of nowhere; it was frustrating her to all hell that she couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"Drink some water", Téa ordered gently.

Eshe straightened up slightly from her bowed position where her head rested in her hands on her knees and graciously accepted the bottle of water that was thrust into her hands.

"Thanks Téa…" Eshe mumbled, taking small sips of the water, she'd hoped she hadn't sounded ungrateful - it was hard to show gratification when she was in so much pain.

But the other girl smiled and nodded, "I think I have some painkillers in my bag", Téa stated, searching around in her handbag for said item, "do you still feel sick?"

Eshe took a deep sigh and shook her head lightly, "No, I… it's just my head now. It's killing."

Téa had sent Joey and Tristan off to the museum cafe when she'd learnt that Eshe hadn't eaten much before leaving her house that day; the boys were tasked with retrieving some snacks to help with her light-headedness.

Eshe took the pills Téa handed her, offering a smile in thanks, and resumed staring at tiled flooring between her feet.

"Have you ever had blackouts like that before?" Yugi asked curiously; he stood in front of Eshe beside Téa and watched her with concern.

"No. No, I… I don't recall." Eshe stumbled over her words, shaking her head gently so as not to aggravate the pain.

"Eshe", Atem spoke up, and the girl in question stiffened slightly as he spoke her name, not dissimilar to how he had in her intense reverie a little while prior.

"You said you'd seen it before."

Eshe's eyebrows knotted in confusion as she turned her head towards him but avoided direct eye contact, "Huh?"

"The necklace. Before you blacked out, you said you'd seen it before."

Eshe paused and thought back; something about the necklace had been strikingly familiar. The appearance of it and the way it made her feel to look upon the pendant had struck a chord of recognition within her mind.

"Where have you seen it before?" Atem asked; Eshe picked up on a flicker of forcefulness in the tone of his voice and reflexively leaned away from him. His face softened apologetically and his hold on her arms loosened.

"I don't know. I-"

She shut up immediately as she remembered a time when she had felt this way; "Actually, I… I might've seen it…"

"Where?" Yugi asked, subconsciously leaning forwards to satisfy a restless desire to _know_.

Atem remained quiet this time as Eshe searched her mind, clearly regretful at having come across as pushy.

"The Museum of Cairo?" she murmured softly, "remember- I told you my aunt and uncle took me there when I was five years old. That's probably where I saw it…"

The girl trailed off, something was itching at her mind and it didn't feel right.

Yugi gasped, "Oh! That's right!" he turned to Atem with a look of surprise, "Ishizu said the Lost Lavalliere was transferred here two years ago _from_ the Museum of Cairo!"

Eshe raised a confused eyebrow, looking between Atem and Yugi; she had absolutely no idea what Yugi was talking about but Atem's face lit up in realisation.

"She did."

The tanned boy hummed thoughtfully, and Eshe looked up at Téa who was scratching her head. She caught Eshe staring at her in abject puzzlement and the girl smiled nervously and shrugged at her.

Eshe sighed, dropping her gaze to the floor again, and felt Atem's fingers tense around her arms once more; she sat up and shrugged her shoulders, hoping he'd realise that he didn't have to hold on to her anymore, but his grasp didn't let up.

"You can let go of me now", Eshe murmured, wondering if this boy understood basic body language, and Atem released her immediately, floundering for a moment as he clasped his hands together in his lap.

"I'm sorry", he spoke, looking slightly dejected, his eyes downcast.

Eshe was about to tell him that she hadn't meant her words to come out snappily; and that she had appreciated his help and was feeling a little better now, but before she could open her mouth to speak, Joey and Tristan came bounding round the corner with two armfuls of goodies.

Téa gave an exasperated sigh, "I said to get _some_ snacks. Not the entire cafe…"

The two boys simply grinned as they plopped down on the adjacent bench and began to offer Eshe a multitude of junk foods and fizzy drinks.

* * *

By the time Eshe's headache had subsided, it was nearing four o'clock in the afternoon and the group had left the museum after they'd decided to frequent the arcade a few blocks away; Eshe watched the others walk ahead of her as they lead the way, chattering amongst themselves. Atem ambled along beside her, once again having reverted to his usual quiet self; he walked with his hands in his pockets and his gaze on the ground.

Eshe hoped he wasn't disheartened from the way she had asked him to let her go, but then again it was hard to tell whether he was actually feeling glum or if this was just the normal way he acted. She hadn't really known him long enough to be sure; she'd have to ask Téa about it sometime.

Regardless, she still felt bad about rejecting what had probably only been his unconventional way of comforting her, and his hands had been pleasantly warm against her skin.

Chancing a glance up at him, she found herself thinking about her strange daydream yet again. He'd been embellished with jewellery and fine clothes similar, but not exact, to the ones she had observed in the Egyptian exhibit, and something about him had looked younger - his eyes were slightly rounder and his brow was less pronounced in her vision.

It may have been her imagination getting the better of her, but she couldn't help but think it was somewhat responsible for triggering her excruciating headache.

"Are you alright?"

Eshe shook herself out of her stupor to find Atem's eyes on her with that familiar spark of concern she had seen earlier; she had inadvertently been staring at him during her train of thought.

"I'm fine, just thinking", Eshe responded, giving the boy a small but assuring smile as she tried to push the images of her vision out of her mind. She had to admit, it was quite endearing how attentive the boy was- more so than the others. While Téa had been quick to act and take charge, making sure Eshe took the necessary steps to recover from her headache, Atem was refreshingly considerate in small, helpful ways.

She found it rather chivalrous of him, the way he matched her pace and walked alongside her quietly, unlike the others who had sped ahead and continued to chatter; she wondered if the silence was bothering him.

"Sorry if I seem kinda boring."

Atem looked at her in surprise, head cocked to the side in confusion, "What makes you say that?"

"I'm not feeling very talkative right now and I don't want you to misinterpret it as something negative; I just… appreciate that you're concerned about me, and I did earlier too. I didn't mean to snap at you when you were holding onto my arms, I was just cranky from the headache, but, uh, you don't need to worry about me- you can catch up with the others if you want, and-"

"Eshe."

The girl looked up with slightly flushed cheeks as she realised she'd been rambling and Atem gave her an amused smile.

"It's alright. I enjoy your company."

It was such a simple thing to say and yet it made Eshe feel warm and it alleviated her nerves to know that the boy was relaxed around her, and didn't feel awkward as she had expected.

"Oh", she murmured, "I'm glad." Eshe hoped she didn't appear too flustered at his words.

"Here we are!" Joey's voice sounded from just ahead as they came to a stop outside the bustling arcade.

The sound of excitable children was rife within the flashy building, barely overshadowing the noise of beeping arcade game machines; there were neon lights everywhere and Eshe smiled nervously as they entered, hoping the buzz wouldn't set off another bout of nausea.

"You know, Yugi has the high score on pretty much every game here", Tristan told Eshe matter-of-factly, and she rose an impressed eyebrow.

"Wow, is there any game you're not good at?" she asked Yugi, and the King of Games shrugged with a sheepish smile.

"He's the King of Games for a reason!" Joey exclaimed, "You should see him playing Tetris. It'll blow your mind!"

Yugi rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed at the praise, and Eshe laughed, "I can imagine!"

"Actually, DDR is difficult with legs this short", the younger boy perked up, and Eshe snorted with amusement, "Téa actually holds the high score for that game", Yugi sent the brown-haired girl a proud smile, and she grinned in return.

Despite the mobs of younger kids wandering around, Eshe felt content following the group around the arcade for the next hour or so- Joey and Tristan showed their skills in a co-operative first-person shooter game, and Eshe mused that they made a pretty good duo when they weren't fighting _each other_.

Then Joey challenged Yugi to a game of Mario Kart and foolishly let the younger boy choose the course - Rainbow Road. It was crazy to watch, Yugi didn't fall off the track _once_ , and consistently owned pole position throughout the entire race.

"How is it even possible not to fall off Rainbow Road?" Eshe murmured in awe over Yugi's shoulder. Joey had fallen off at least twelve times by the end of the race, and finished in third place.

"You just had to pick this ridiculous level", the blond boy grumbled, and Yugi snickered.

Atem watched the others with interest as they attempted to beat the current system's high scores. Eshe noticed the concentrated look in his eyes while he observed Yugi playing Pac-Man; his lips were a thin line and it made him look serious.

"Are you gonna play?" Eshe asked Atem as Yugi stepped aside, nodding her head at the game machine.

"What are the rules?" Atem inquired, stepping up to the screen, and Eshe raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, have you never played Pac-Man?"

Atem shook his head, "I haven't…"

Come to think of it, Eshe could tell by the way he stood before the machine and the way he rested his fingers upon the buttons that he wasn't a big arcade-game player; his stance was all wrong and his hands were absolutely not in optimal game-playing position.

"Or… any arcade game?"

Atem looked imperceptibly sheepish, "I prefer card games."

Eshe giggled, "Well, fair enough. Here, lemme explain the rules and objective."

She relayed the basic premise of the game and how the controls worked until Atem seemed happy enough to give it a go; and what followed was pretty remarkable.

The boy played like an expert, with narrowed eyes and pursed lips, he stared unblinking with unbreaking focus. He seemed to be one step ahead of the computer's AI the whole time, and he practically oozed with confidence - barely breaking a sweat.

Atem was gaining on Yugi's high score, and Eshe tore her eyes away from the screen for a moment to see Yugi watching closely over Atem's other shoulder, a challenging smirk on his face.

The hype ended when Atem inevitably ran himself into a corner, surrounded by ghosts with no means of escape, and he let out a frustrated sigh as the screen flashed ' _GAME OVER_ ' before switching to the high score screen. He was second to Yugi.

"Are you kidding me?" Eshe exclaimed in uncontained bewilderment, and Atem blinked up at her. "You said you'd never played before!"

Atem frowned, "I hadn't ever played before."

"But, that was- _crazy_ , you're just as good as Yugi!" Eshe spluttered.

Atem looked confused, glancing between the screen and Eshe's astonished expression, "But I lost", the boy stated, and the words seemed to disgust him.

"You-" Eshe blinked, "what? You- you can't win at Pac-Man. It's an endless game. It only ends when you lose."

The tanned boy looked as though he'd been cheated by the arcade machine, "what's the point in playing the game if you can never win?"

Eshe's astoundment fizzled away into amusement, "Uhh, to have fun?"

Yugi and Eshe proceeded to laugh as Atem crossed his arms indignantly.

Did this boy even know the meaning of the word _fun_?

* * *

"Another game shop?" Eshe asked curiously as the group came to a stop in front of the building Joey had been leading them to.

"Right!" Joey exclaimed, "but we're not here to browse- we're here to duel!"

"In the shop?"

"This shop belongs to a friend of ours- Duke Devlin", Yugi clarified, and Eshe hummed softly at the familiar sounding name.

"Wait, Duke Devlin- the guy who created Dungeon Dice Monsters?"

"That's the one", Tristan affirmed.

"Huh. Cool." Eshe nodded her head and turned to Yugi with a grin, "I remember watching you play Dungeon Dice against him. It was pretty impressive watching you beat the _creator_ of the game on your first time playing!"

It reminded her of someone else, actually, and her eyes briefly flickered to Atem; the boys both seemed to have an affinity for all games and were just naturally skilled.

Yugi rubbed the back of his neck and gave a modest smile; he still wasn't used to all the praise, "Ah, well, it was quite easy to get the hang of…"

"Anyway", Joey perked up, "I was thinking we could duel in his private arena- that way we can duel with holograms but we won't draw an audience!"

Téa hummed in agreement, "Joey, that's actually a great idea!"

The tall blonde gave a sulky pout, "Why you gotta sound so surprised, Téa?"

Eshe giggled, "I appreciate your consideration, Joey. Is it okay with Duke that we're using his duel arena?"

Joey blinked, "Well, I haven't asked him yet… but I'm sure he'll be fine with it!"

When they entered the shop, Eshe emphatically 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed at the vast collection of gaming merchandise; it was a lot bigger than the game shop Yugi owned with his grandpa. There were multiple sections for video games, board games and card games, whereas the Muto shop was primarily focused on the card game Duel Monsters.

It was impressive, yes, but it had a very corporate feeling to it and didn't hold the same personal and nostalgic joy that the Kame Game shop retained.

Nevertheless, it didn't stop her from eyeing the shelves with interest as they walked through to the counter. Duke Devlin looked up from typing on his laptop as they approached, and immediately a charming smile appeared on his handsome face.

"Look who it is! I wasn't expecting to see you guys today; how's it going?" he exclaimed, his eyes sweeping over the faces of the group before landing on Eshe.

Duke tilted his head as he spotted the new face and raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly, "Hellooo~", the boy spoke slyly, "who's this lovely-looking lady?"

Eshe blinked and opened her mouth to retort but all that came out was a unintelligent 'uhhh'. The black-haired boy smiled wider and Eshe had to admit, he was rather dashing, but she wouldn't allow her knees to become weak at any old compliment a boy threw her way just because he was pretty.

Furthermore, she was aware of the way Atem had tensed up beside her and was now regarding Duke with poorly-restrained glare, and judging by the way Joey rolled his eyes, and the way Tristan delivered a deadpan look, Eshe was beginning to suspect the Dungeon Dice creator was like this with all the girls.

Nonetheless, she gave him a polite smile and said, "My name is Eshe. Nice to meet you."

The boy looked pleased as she introduced herself and he began twirling a strand of his hair between his finger and thumb, before brushing it back behind his ear; he winked one of his bright green eyes at her before declaring in an alluring tone, "What a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Eshe, the name's Duke Devlin."

Eshe bit her lip to avoid laughing at his display of attempted seduction and that was when Joey groaned and stepped between them with an exasperated grimace on his face, "Look, we're here to use your dueling arena, not to flirt, so are ye gonna let us use it or not?"

Duke crossed his arms as he gave Joey a dubious look, "If you want to use my dueling arena then maybe you should consider asking nicely."

Joey growled as he pressed his palms flat against the counter, leaning forward in an endeavor to intimidate Duke; but the boy stood his ground, smirking.

"Listen, buddy", Joey grumbled sarcastically, and then his eyes glinted mischievously and his tone changed, a sly grin finding it's way onto his face, "Eshe here would really like to duel me, but she'd prefer not to draw a crowd, so your arena is the _perfect_ place for us- you wouldn't wanna disappoint Eshe, would ya?"

Eshe raised an eyebrow at Joey cynically, realising she was being used as a tool of persuasion; and Duke turned to her with an inquiring look, perhaps to gauge whether or not the blond was lying. With an inward sigh, Eshe smiled and nodded her head pleadingly, batting her eyes for extra points of influence.

Duke's entire manner changed and he smiled widely, "Well why didn't you say so before? Who am I to say _no_ to a beautiful girl?"

Yugi chanced a nervous glance to Atem, who was showing an extraordinary display of constraint; he'd shoved his hands in his pockets and straightened his back, glowering at the boy behind the counter. Téa, on the other hand, was rolling her eyes, but simultaneously hid an amused smile at the situation.

"RIGHT!" Joey called, and grabbed Eshe's wrist to begin dragging her through to the back room, "Then you won't mind if we just head on through and make ourselves comfortable-"

"Wait, uh, hey-" Duke mumbled, but Joey and Eshe had already disappeared with the rest of the group hurrying through behind them. The boy sighed and returned to his laptop; ideally he would've loved to watch the duel, but the responsibility of watching the shop fell upon him.

He continued typing an email when a thought occurred to him, "Hold on…" he spoke aloud, "were there _two_ Yugi's!?"

* * *

Eshe stepped up to the challenger's podium of the duel arena with minor trepidation; this would be her first time dueling with holograms and she was incredibly excited- but with the giddiness came a slight trickle of anxiety as it always did when dueling.

"Are you ready, Eshe?" Joey called from across the room, standing at his own podium; she shuffled her deck and placed it on the panel, sparing a glance across the room to the other four who offered her reassuring smiles.

Eshe smirked and nodded to Joey, "Ready when you are."

"I'll let you go first since I'm such a gentleman!" Joey exclaimed, placing his shuffled deck down.

"How courteous", Eshe laughed.

The duel began, and the life-point counter appeared on the screens around the room; the two duelists each drew their respective cards and Eshe's eyes scanned the cards in her hand.

"I'll play my field spell, _Temple of the Kings_ , and set a monster face-down in defence mode."

"Going for the defence, huh?" Joey jeered, and Eshe smirked.

"Your turn, Joey. Try not to quake in your boots."

Joey snorted and drew a card from his deck, "First I'll play _Pot of Greed_ , which lets me draw two more cards. Next I'll summon _Alligator's Sword_!"

An armour-clad alligator soldier appeared on the playing field, wielding a nasty looking scimitar, with 1500 attack points, "I'll attack your face-down monster!"

Joey's monster attacked, and Eshe's face-down monster revealed itself to be _Whirlwind Prodigy,_ a fairy-type monster in the form of an adorable little elfin boy.

Eshe's monster, with 1600 defence points, endured the attack and Joey took 100 points of damage.

 **E:8000/J:7900**

"Hm", Joey pouted, and then shrugged, brushing it off, "not a problem! I'll just set this magic card and end my turn!"

Eshe grinned as she drew her next card and sprung into action, "Alright, first I'll get rid of your monster by playing the magic card _Fissure_!"

"Ah, nuts", Joey grumbled as his _Alligator's Sword_ was sent straight to the graveyard.

"Now that you're defenceless, I'll switch _Whirlwind Prodigy_ to attack mode and attack you directly!"

 **E:8000/J:6400**

Joey flinched as Eshe's monster took a sizeable chunk out of his life points; his eyes narrowed and he sent her a determined look, "Just you wait till my next turn!"

"Bring it then, Wheeler", the girl teased, poking her tongue out at the blond, "I'll set a card facedown and end my turn", she winked as she set the card and crossed her arms, waiting to see what Joey had to offer.

"Alright, let's see here", Joey mumbled as he drew his next card; he eyed them closely before grinning.

"I play _Premature Burial_ to bring back _Alligator's Sword_!" Joey exclaimed, the his previous monster re-emerged while his life points dropped from the payment his spell card demanded, "Next, I summon _Panther Warrior_!"

The purple panther came forth and Eshe bit her lip at the high number of attack points it had; 2000 was a lot for a level four monster.

It was as if Joey read her mind as he declared, "and if you think that's a lot of attack points, check _this_ out! I play my facedown card, _Graceful Dice_."

So, Joey's deck was based on luck; Eshe's eyes narrowed as the holographic dice rolled across the field and landed on a three.

"Both of my monsters gain 300 extra attack points! How's that?" Joey snapped with a playful smirk.

Eshe snorted, "Not bad, Joey."

"Now I'll attack your _Whirlwind Prodigy_ with my _Alligator's Sword_ , but that's not all, since my _Panther Warrior_ can't attack unless I tribute a monster, I'll send my _Alligator's Sword_ to the graveyard and attack you directly!"

Eshe threw her arms up as the monster sliced at her with it's sword; she laughed nervously in embarrassment at having had such a strong reaction to the holographic image.

"Wow, holograms are kinda scary", she admitted with pink-tinted cheeks.

Tristan perked up from the sidelines with a hearty laugh, "Don't worry about it, you're still getting used to the holograms!"

Eshe smiled and nodded, before turning back to Joey, "Since you attacked me directly, I can activate my face-down trap card, _Wolf in Sheep's Clothing!_ This let's me special summon a level one monster from my hand, and I choose _Bee List Soldier_!"

The small insect monster appeared on her side of the field, buzzing as mightily as it could in an attempt to intimidate, but Joey simply smirked at the low-level creature.

"Alright, I'll end my turn at that."

 **E:5400/J:5600**

Eshe drew a card and smiled, in her hand she held her ace monster, _Alector_ , and she was perfectly set to summon him.

"Judging by that grin on your face, I'd guess you just drew something good, huh?"

"You're about to find out, Joey", she exclaimed confidently; from the edge of the arena, Atem smiled fondly at the girl's display of spirit.

"First I'll play the magic card _Lightning Vortex_!" Eshe discarded a card from her hand and Joey yelped in dismay as his _Panther Warrior_ dissolved and was sent to the graveyard, "now I sacrifice my _Bee List Soldier_ to bring forth-"

Eshe felt her stomach jump in excitement, desperate to see her favourite monster come to life before her, "- _Alector, Sovereign of Birds_!"

The girl gasped softly as the monster appeared before her in a flash of silver and red; the anthropomorphic creature had an armoured metallic body with two pairs of elegant red-feathered wings protruding from his back.

She gaped, awed by its three-dimensional appearance, and was left temporarily speechless; Téa found Eshe's reaction rather adorable, letting out an audible 'aww' from the sidelines.

Joey grinned widely, "Hey, Esh, how's it feel to see your favourite monster like this!? Betcha wish you'd tried holograms sooner, huh?"

Eshe was biting her lip, trying to regain her briefly non-existent composure, and let out a tittering giggle, "It's better than I imagined, and now- _Alector_ will attack you directly!"

Joey's grin turned upside-down as Eshe's monster took 2400 life points from him, "Ahh man! I gotta step it up if I wanna win this."

 **E:5400/J:3200**

As Eshe ended her turn, Joey drew his next card and sent the girl a sly smirk, "Check this out! I summon _Gearfried, the Iron Knight_ , then I play the spell card _Star Blaster_ \- it's effect allows me to roll a dice, and the number I get is added to the level total of my _Gearfried_ , and then I can tribute it to summon a monster of the same level from my hand!"

"So you're hoping for a specific number? Better hope your luck holds up", Eshe goaded.

"Come on, luck be a lady tonight and give me a 3!" Joey called, crossing his fingers as the dice rolled across the field.

The numbered cube wobbled on its edge for a moment before landing on 3, and Eshe blinked and pouted, "Huh, you're a lucky guy, aren't you, Joey?"

"You bet I am!" the blond cried happily, "and that brings my _Gearfried_ up to level 7, and do you know what that means? It means I can summon the ace of _my_ deck! _Red Eyes Black Dragon_ , come forth!"

Eshe froze as a huge black dragon materialised on the field, replacing _Gearfried_ , and she shuddered at the striking red eyes that glared her down, "Oh, that's- uh, a bit scary..."

Joey looked smug at the girl's reaction, "Yeah, and it's about to get terrifying! I play the spell card _Axe of Despair_ and equip it to my _Red Eyes_! It gives it an extra boost of 1000 attack points!"

"What!?" Eshe squeaked, as the dragon's attack power reached a total of 3400.

"Now, _Red Eyes_ , attack _Alector_!"

 **E:4400/J:3200**

Eshe's ace monster dissolved as it was sent to the graveyard, a sorrowful look passed over her face as if she'd actually lost a close friend for real, "That was mean, Joey…"

Joey rubbed the back of his neck with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Esh, but I did say I wouldn't go easy on ya!"

Eshe growled, "You'll pay for that!" She looked down at her deck and silently begged the dueling gods for a good card; she drew the card and bit her lip.

It was the only card in her hand and she couldn't play it; she was defenceless with no cards on the field to protect her.

"Bad draw?" Joey asked at her prolonged silence, and snorted as the girl glared at him.

"Could've been better", she deadpanned, and spared a glance at the gang who watched on, waiting for her move. They all watched curiously and Eshe groaned inwardly as she declared the end of her turn.

It Joey drew and summoned another monster above 1000 attack, she was done.

"My draw!" Joey exclaimed happily, he blinked at the cards in his hands and then looked up, " _Red Eyes_ , attack her directly!"

Eshe endured a direct attack from the powerful beast, once again unable to avoid flinching as the holographic dragon fired upon her life points.

 **E:1000/J:3200**

"Alright, you're up", Joey stated, ending his turn.

 _Come on, deck, don't let me down,_ Eshe thought, her fingers hovering briefly over her deck before she drew the card.

 _Shit_.

It was a useless magic card that bore no service to her at that moment, and Joey was poised to diminish her life points on her next turn unless she thought of something quickly.

 _Ah._ She could always trick him. Lure him into a false sense of security and do what she did best.

Eshe smirked, locking eyes with Joey as she set the useless magic card down; she held his gaze as he rose a curious eyebrow, hoping he'd take the bait.

"Your move."

Joey hummed as he drew his next card, "I'll set a card facedown, and I'll-" he paused in his declaration of attack as Eshe's deceptive smirked widened. Joey swallowed, eyed her face-down card, and spoke, "I'll end my turn."

 _Brilliant_. The blond boy was convinced that her face-down card was dangerous to him.

As Eshe drew her next card, her eyes flicked up to Yugi who was watching her with a knowing look; the boy could tell she was bluffing with her facedown card, she'd played the same strategy with him, after all.

 _Joey must've forgotten._

"I'll set a monster face-down and end my turn", Eshe continued to eye the boy across from her with an expectant look.

Joey drew, and eyed Eshe suspiciously, "I'll set two cards face-down… and end my turn."

"Not going to attack?" Eshe inquired, a fake tone of surprise in her voice.

Joey smirked, "Nah. Reckon I got you figured out, Esh."

"Oh?"

"I'm thinking your face-down card is _Magic Cylinder_!"

Eshe's eyes narrowed, "Is that so?"

The girl drew a card from her deck and huffed, "Well in that case, I'll flip summon my face-down monster!"

 _Morphing Jar_ appeared on the field and its effect activated, both the duelists discarded their entire hands and drew until they had five cards; Eshe's eyes grew bright at the cards in her hand.

"Ohhh, Joey. Not attacking me has been your biggest mistake."

Joey's face paled slightly and Eshe winked playfully, "For my first trick", she spoke teasingly, "I'll place two cards face-down. Next, I'll play the magic card _Creature Swap_! Looks like your _Red Eyes_ belongs to me!"

"Not so fast!" Joey cried, "I use my quick-play face-down card, _Scapegoat_!"

"Oh no you don't! I'm coming for your _Red Eyes_ , Joey, not a wimpy little goat!" She revealed a face-down trap card, _Magic Drain_.

"Hold on!" Joey squealed, "You _just_ set that trap card! You can't play them on the same turn!"

"That's where you're wrong, Joey. Did you forget about my field-spell? _Temple of the Kings_ allows me to play trap cards on the same turn I set them."

"Uh oh…"

"Uh oh, indeed!" Eshe laughed, "I get your super-powered _Red Eyes_ , and you get my _Morphing Jar_."

Joey let out a melodramatic cry as his beloved ace monster switched sides, replaced with the _Morphing Jar_ , and Eshe giggled in delight, her gaze landing on the group at the side. They all seemed impressed with her move so far, and Atem gave her firm thumbs up.

With a grin, Eshe continued her turn assuredly, "Now I'll use _Premature Burial_ to bring back _Alector_!" the payment in return for bringing her monster back dropped her life points to a dangerously low 200, but she did not falter.

 **E:200/J:3200**

"Now I'll summon _Sand Moth_!" Eshe called, and the ammophilous creature grew from its gritty terrain, it possessed mere 1000 attack points. " _Alector_ will attack _Morphing Jar_!"

"Think again!" Joey cried, activating his trap card, _Dust Tornado_. His trap card destroyed _Premature Burial_ , thus sending _Alector_ straight back to the graveyard.

"You fiend!" Eshe squeaked as she lost her favourite monster for the second time; she growled and ordered _Sand Moth_ to attack the weaker monster on Joey's side of the field.

Joey quickly activated his other trap card, " _Skull Dice!_ This card lowers your monster's attack points by the number it lands on multiplied by 100!"

The dice rolled, and landed on 3.

"What _is it_ with you and rolling so many threes!?" Eshe wondered.

The resulting effect dropped _Sand Moth_ 's attack to the same as _Morphing Jar_ , thus sending them both to the graveyard.

Now, Joey was left defenceless and Eshe glanced briefly down at the cards in her hand before smiling softly at the boy across from her; his trap card had affected the attack points of _Red Eyes_ as well, bringing it's total down to 3100. Joey's life points were 3200.

Joey breathed a sigh of relief, "While I'm not psyched that my favourite monster is gonna attack me, at least I'm still in the game."

 _Red Eyes_ attacked the blond, bringing his life points down lower than Eshe's.

 **E:200/J:100**

"I wouldn't be so sure, Joey." Eshe spoke, "I'll equip _Red Eyes_ with the spell card _Black Pendant_."

"Eh?" Joey grumbled in confusion, "Doesn't that raise it's attack points by 500?"

"Yep."

Joey laughed, "Uhh, you should've done that _before_ you entered your battle phase, girly."

Eshe smirked, and Joey's face fell, blinking in confusion.

"I reveal my face-down trap, _Dust Tornado_ , and I'll destroy my own _Black Pendant_." As Eshe stated this, Joey's face twisted in puzzled bewilderment.

"Wha!? I don't get it!"

Eshe grinned, "I've won, Joey. _Black Pendant_ 's secondary effect is that it deals 500 points of damage to my opponent when it's sent to the graveyard. You lose."

Joey stared on, speechless as his life points hit zero.

 **E:200/J:0**

The tanned girl had won the duel with a mere 200 life points to spare; Eshe jumped as Tristan cheered loudly, clapping his hands together, Téa quickly joined in- followed by Yugi.

Eshe stepped down from the podium after gathering up her deck and Atem watched her proudly, "Well done", he spoke as she reached him, and Eshe's cheeks went red.

With a shy giggle, Eshe looked down and murmured, "Thank you", it had been a simple congratulations, but coming from him it felt grand.

"You wrecked me!" Joey cried as he came bounding to a stop beside the group, "that last turn was awesome!"

Eshe bit her lip, holding out her hand to shake his, and he happily accepted it.

"Thanks for dueling me, Eshe, that was great!"

Eshe nodded in agreement and bathed in the praise of her friends; she couldn't wait to tell Leela all about it.

* * *

"Oh man", Joey spoke, stretching his back as the group exited Duke's shop, "it's getting late, I should be heading home soon."

"Me too", Téa added, checking her watch, she glanced up at the other's, "I'm gonna get the bus home."

Tristan nodded in agreement and Yugi glanced up at Atem, "Grandpa's probably wondering where we are", the boy spoke.

Atem nodded, and turned to Eshe. The Kame Game shop wasn't too far away, Yugi could probably walk there in under fifteen minutes, but he recalled that Eshe had left her car parked at the museum, which was a twenty minute walk from their current point in the opposite direction.

"Today was so much fun, I can't wait to hang out with you guys again", Eshe exclaimed, waving goodbye to all of them as she began stepping backwards, ready to trek back to the museum to find her car.

"Wait!" Atem spoke, stepping towards her, "I'll- um, I can walk you back to your car."

Yugi smiled up at the Pharaoh, "Good idea, that way you don't have to be alone, Eshe."

Eshe blinked and shrugged, "Okay", she smiled, "and then I'll drop you home on the way back to my apartment."

Atem nodded, "Thank you."

Yugi gave Atem a wink and the older boy cleared his throat awkwardly at the look; the tanned boy fell into step aside Eshe as they continued down the street in the direction of Domino museum.

Neither said a word during the journey back to the car, once again enjoying each other's company in silence; comfortable and complacent.

It wasn't until they reached the car and got into it that Atem opened his mouth, trying desperately to think of something to say.

"Thank you for… joining us today", the tanned boy spoke hesitantly as Eshe started the engine; she glanced at him and spared him a wink.

"Thanks for the invite, I had a lot of fun", she told him, and he nodded with a smile.

Silence fell again, and although it was a serene silence, Atem wanted to break it for the sake of talking; the problem was that every time he opened his mouth, he had no idea what to say.

He was never much for conversation.

The ride back to the game shop was surprisingly quick, and Atem unbuckled his seat belt as Eshe pulled up in front of the building, but Atem didn't get out quite yet.

"I… enjoyed your duel." He murmured, catching her gaze.

Eshe grinned, "So did I, not bad for my first time dueling with holograms, huh?"

The boy nodded, "It was- really incredible. I- uh, you were… it was… good." He cringed inwardly, definitely in need of some practise when it came to articulating his emotions verbally.

So he tried again. "What I'm trying to say is: I was impressed." Sweet and simple.

Eshe laughed, "Thank you."

Atem nodded, glancing down at his hands briefly; he didn't want to leave the car just yet, but Eshe was watching him with a knot in her eyebrows, wondering why he was just sitting there doing nothing.

It was now or never; Atem looked up again, "Would you like to- to do something… on Saturday?"

Eshe blinked, "you mean hang out again, with the group?"

Atem swallowed, feeling his cheeks heat up as he struggled to speak steadily, "Uh, well, I mean… unless you'd like to do something… with… just me?"

Eshe stared at him a moment longer, before her eyes widened slightly, "Oh, you mean like- like a… date?" She blinked rapidly for a moment, hoping she'd interpreted his words correctly, because if not then she predicted mortification in her near future.

But luckily, Atem smiled a dorky smile and nodded, "Yes!" He paused, "I mean- if you want to. You don't have to. We could just do something as a group instead- but I would be happy if- if you would…"

He cut himself off as she held up her hand to quiet him, her face graced with a delightful smile, "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes. Let's do something together on Saturday. Just us."

Atem felt his heart race in his chest at her words, and he matched her smile, eyes wide with joviality. Eshe held out her hand.

"Give me your phone."

"Huh?" Atem blinked in confusion and Eshe snorted.

"So I can put my number in your contacts."

"Oh!" the tanned boy reached into his pocket and handed the phone to her; she made quick work of entering her details into his contact list and then handed the phone back with a wink.

"I'm looking forward to it." She told him, and Atem nodded, his mouth beginning to hurt from smiling so much.

"Me too."

With one last lingering glance, Atem opened the car door and stepped out; he waved her off as she pulled out and drove away down the road.

Once Eshe was sure she was completely out of sight, she squealed giddily; a handsome boy had just asked her out on a _date_.

 _Holy shit_. Leela was gonna freak out.

* * *

 **Notes: If you spot any grammar/spelling errors, please tell me! Y'all have no idea how determined I was to get this chapter out today. It's an extra long one, thanks to that dueling sequence! Please let me know if the duel was written in a way that wasn't totally boring! As always, if you're enjoying this story, please do review- it makes me so happy and brings new chapters faster ;)**


	9. Its Been One Week Since You Looked At Me

**Note: It was brought to my attention that Duke was actually present for the ceremonial duel and my forgetful ass just totally forgot, so I didn't actually include him in the prologue of this story and that explains why some of you might've been confused at something he said in the last chapter. It's not going to be too relevant to the story, so you can just assume that in my fic, he just wasn't there for the final duel. Sorry for any confusion :)**

Transcending Time

Chapter Eight: It's Been One Week Since You Looked At Me

Eshe was correct; Leela was _freaking out_.

" _He asked you on a date!?_ "

Throwing her hands up defensively in front of her, Eshe recoiled at the anticipated outlandish shock emanating from her best friend; she bit her lip and cleared her throat at the look of horror on Leela's face.

"What's the problem-"

" _And you said YES!?_ "

Eshe paused, shrugging her shoulders as she gave her friend a cynical look, slightly disbelieving at the completely over-the-top reaction from the other girl.

"I was expecting you to go a bit mad when I told you, but I wasn't expecting you to become completely unhinged", Eshe murmured calmly. She stood across from Leela in the middle of their living room while the other girl looked as though she was about to pull her hair out.

"I can't believe you", Leela screeched exasperatedly, "you've known him for a week and you're going on a date with him?"

Eshe huffed, crossing her arms, "I'll have you know he's quite charming-"

" _Charming!?_ Eshe, the guy's a loser", Leela mimicked Eshe's stance, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You're being ridiculous", Eshe accused, frowning heavily, "I spent the day with him today and he's sweet, courteous and fascinating, really."

Leela's arms returned to her sides, hands clenched; she let out a low growl, "Oh, so you spend the day with lover-boy and his friends and forget all about me", her tone was excessively grumpy.

Eshe raised an eyebrow, "I did tell you earlier that I was hanging out with them", she spoke in her defence.

"You said you'd be back by six o'clock so we could marathon some movies!" Leela was whining now, something she often did in an argument when she knew her point wasn't getting across easily.

"No, I didn't. You wanted me back by six, and I said _maybe_." Eshe glanced at the clock; she'd walked in at half-past eight, which wasn't late at all by Eshe's standards.

"But you didn't even drop me a text to let me know! I sent you like ten messages, why didn't you reply?"

"God, you sound like my aunt", Eshe grumbled, "I'm sorry I didn't respond, I had my phone on silent."

"You had your phone on silent", Leela repeated with a sigh of agitation. Eshe couldn't help but let out an amused respire, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"You've always had a problem with me getting friendly with guys", the tanned girl stated, watching her friend expectantly. "Why?"

Leela gave an infuriated grunt, stomped over to the couch and flopped down heavily, she was clearly making it known that vexation shadowed her every action.

" _Because_ , every guy you've ever introduced me to is an asshole, that's why. Plus, you're too good for all of them." Leela was avoiding her gaze now, glaring at the television for lack of a more interesting thing to pin her focus on.

Eshe rolled her eyes, "You don't think you're being a little prejudiced?"

"No, I observed your new boyfriend's behaviour well enough back at the zoo to know he's sneaky and tight-lipped."

" _Whoa_ , whoa, Leela, back up. He's _not_ my boyfriend-"

Leela huffed, "My mistake. Your _friend who is a boy_ who has asked you on a _date_ ", she clarified her point with a sassy shake of her head as she spoke, and Eshe grit her teeth at how difficult her friend was being.

"Look, I think I can decide what's best for myself, thank you very much", Eshe stated calmly, and Leela gave a sarcastic laugh.

"I bet you told him all about your whole life and he didn't tell you a damn thing about himself", her roommate spoke, ignoring Eshe's previous statement, and landed a calculating stare toward her face.

Eshe's eyes darted briefly away, realising her friend was right, and she opened her mouth to explain her reasoning when Leela gave a shriek of victory.

"HAH! I'm right, aren't I? I can tell by the look on your face! He wanted to know all about you but wouldn't tell you anything when you asked about him?"

"I'm… sure he has his reasons-" Eshe's resolve cracked slightly and her voice became hesitant.

"His reasoning being that he's clearly looking for trouble", her roommate interrupted with a smug look.

Eshe let out an affronted grunt, " _Enough_ , Leela! You don't know jack-shit. I'm going to bed."

Without another word, Eshe pivoted around and stormed down the hall into her bedroom, slamming the door for extra measure. Slouching down in her chair, she leaned forward on her desk, resting her head upon her crossed arms, and gave a burdened sigh.

It wasn't often that she fought with Leela and it left a sour taste in her mouth when such a conflict arose; she had known the girl for many years now and they were practically inseparable from the first moment they saw each other.

Leela was an only child and had trouble making friends, so Eshe supposed the girl valued her companionship far beyond any relationship she had ever had; she had always been possessive and overprotective.

 _Overbearing, more like._

Shaking her head, she tried to see things from Leela's perspective.

It was hard to imagine, they were two different people with two very different ways of thinking, Eshe couldn't see herself as the one who was in the wrong, especially when she knew that Leela was borderline obsessive when it came to figuring people out.

Catching on to someone's personality had always been easy for Eshe; she could take their mannerisms, the way they spoke, the subconscious actions they performed, and she could pigeon-hole their character quite easily.

Leela, on the other hand, always had an added personal touch of paranoia, and thus she found it hard to understand someone's nature without thinking they were hiding something or that they were inevitably out to get her.

Then again, if Eshe only had one close friend in the world who decided to spend the day with a bunch of new people she hadn't personally met and gotten to know yet, she'd probably end up acting like a martyr too.

"Ugh", she grumbled, sitting back in her desk chair.

The unusual blackout she'd experienced earlier that day was playing on her mind, making her worry and overthink things, and _why exactly was it followed by troubling hallucination or vision or dream or whatever?_

It all tumbled through her mind at an alarmingly fast rate, and left her mentally exhausted; all she wanted to do was curl up in bed and lie there for hours.

She had work the next day after a whole week of vacation; maybe she should turn in early and ensure she didn't wake up like a crotchety old woman the following morning.

* * *

" _I don't want to go, papa."_

 _Eshe fiddled with the hem of her linen dress apprehensively before she straightened it out over her knees and began twiddling her thumbs in her lap._

" _I know, my child, but this is for the best."_

 _The older man who sat beside her in the closed-top carriage rested a hand comfortingly on her small shoulder, squeezing it gently._

 _She acknowledged his words with a nod of her head and breathed a sigh; her gaze fixed on the Nile river as they travelled ever closer to Pharaoh Aknamkanon's beautiful palace. They had arrived in the kingdom not too long ago, and the realisation that Eshe was being made to live far away from her father caused sadness to bubble up in her throat._

 _Her father, Nizam, the once mighty pharaoh of Upper Egypt only a mere two years ago, had formed an alliance with Pharaoh Aknamkanon of Lower Egypt and renounced his title following a battle between kingdoms. Eshe's father had been relegated to a prince, and he had done so willingly- for Aknamkanon's court were in possession of the powerful Millennium items and proved him to be the far superior ruler- and together they had decided to unify their lands into one influential country._

 _The accord between the two royal families was strong, and amongst them grew a friendly partnership. Aknamkanon proposed the idea that Eshe live in his palace, where she could grow alongside his son in hopes they would become close friends. Nizam was unsure at first, but Aknamkanon assured him that Eshe would be well looked-after and given the finest education._

" _You will like it here, and the Pharaoh has a son your age. The boy is kind, I know you two will be good friends."_

" _I will miss you, papa…"_

 _Nizam smiled softly at his young daughter, "and I will miss you, my child. I will be back to visit you in three months for your eighth birthday."_

 _The young girl nodded gently; it wouldn't be long now, the palace was in view._

* * *

"Earth to Eshe? Hello? Your customers are getting a little impatient!"

Eshe jumped into action as her coworker caught her attention, letting out a startled yelp as she was interrupted from her reverie that involved staring very closely at the wall before her. She realised abruptly that she had been blending her client's fruit smoothie for about five minutes now- an excessively long time for the refreshing beverage.

She glanced back at the young woman leaning against the other side of the counter who was watching her with a bored, slightly puzzled expression, probably wondering what in the world was taking so long.

"Ahh, I'm so sorry! Your smoothie is coming right up, I promise!" Eshe squeaked apologetically, quickly working to finish preparing the drink; luckily the woman gave her a forgiving smile.

"Jeez, Eshe, what's gotten into you?" The silver-haired boy across the kitchen-area watched her with a raised eyebrow, "You keep getting distracted today. What's on your mind?"

"Sorry Haru, I'll just serve these customers and then I'll explain myself", she gave him a brief nervous smile and continued working quickly, yet precisely, on her client's order.

Twenty minutes later, the cafe was a little quieter, with only the gentle chitter-chatter of people sitting at the tables and within the booths talking amongst themselves; the queue for the counter had diminished after Eshe had regained her focus, and now there was a spare moment to talk.

Wiping down the prep surface with a damp cloth, Eshe looked up as Haru came to stand by her, crossing his arms expectantly as he leaned against the counter, "So, what's up with you?"

Eshe rolled her eyes; ever since she'd started her job just under three months ago, she'd had to deal with her somewhat nosy colleague, a twenty-year-old boisterous individual with dashing good looks. The boy inadvertently made all the women who visited the cafe swoon- something Haru didn't take a lot of pleasure in, seeing as he wasn't exactly attracted to girls.

"I've been having some weird dreams lately, and they're messing with my head, okay?" Eshe's tone was dismissive, she didn't really want to go too into the details of the scenarios her unconscious mind would conjure up, but from the way her co-worker was looking at her, it seemed she wouldn't be granted the privilege of privacy.

"Dreams about what?" Haru was giving her an annoyingly suggestive look, raising one perfectly plucked eyebrow.

" _Not_ what you're thinking about", Eshe grumbled, "They're just weird, nonsensical slices of a life that isn't mine."

Haru looked at her closely, his eyebrows knotting slightly, "...care to elaborate?"

Eshe sighed, "I don't know. It's confusing, I can't explain it."

Her colleague was silent, watching her face scrunch slightly in frustration as she scrubbed the counter-top slightly harder, and then his expression turned sympathetic, "Sorry for teasing you. You wanna take your lunch break and sit down for a bit?"

Eshe glanced up at him surprised, "Are you sure? It might get busy in a minute…"

Haru shrugged, "Nothing I can't handle", he assured her with a wink.

Hesitantly, Eshe smiled and nodded, "Okay… thanks, I'll be sat in the corner if you need me though."

She hung up her apron and grabbed her bag; taking a seat in one of the corner booths, she pulled out her phone and the lunch she had packed herself that morning.

It was mid-afternoon now, and Leela had already left for work by the time Eshe awoke that morning; following their little dispute from the night before, it was probably for the best that they gave each other some cool-down time before speaking again.

Leela hadn't texted, but she had an unread message awaiting her.

' _Hello, it's Atem. This is my number._ '

Eshe smiled, adding Atem as a contact in her phone; his text speak was awkwardly formal- perhaps he was the kind of person who preferred to call rather than text. Unfortunately, Eshe was not one of those people.

' _Got it. So what are we doing Saturday?_ '

She included a smiley emoticon for added flavour and awaited a response; she had a few ideas for what they could do on their 'date', but she wanted to know what Atem's opinion of fun was before offering suggestions.

Her phone was silent for ten minutes, until it suddenly dinged, alerting her that he'd finally replied.

' _There's a park in the middle of Domino. We can start there?_ '

A sliver of delight settled within her at his proposal; a walk in the park sounded wonderfully engaging. The few guys she'd briefly been with in her life- before Leela scared them off- had always made the mistake of taking her to see a movie on the first date; not a great start to a potential budding relationship. The purpose of going on a date was to get to know the other person- how exactly was that possible when both participants were entirely focused on a big screen rather than each other.

A hike amongst nature was the perfect setting for Eshe to get to know Atem, and vice versa.

' _Sounds good to me!_ '

She had two days to decide what to wear.

* * *

Eshe arrived home from work later that day and approached the door to her shared apartment with trepidation. She paused before she could unlock the door to enter and chewed her bottom lip, eyeing the welcome mat with pernickety attention as if it was the most interesting thing she'd seen in the whole world. Shuffling from foot to foot, she sighed.

She couldn't put off confronting her best friend forever, but she'd damn well take as long as she pleased; desperately trying to think up a way to break the ice between them so that they spend the next week in awkward silence.

Finally, she raised her hand to insert the key into the lock, but before she could do anything, the door swung open at once. The creaking floorboards below her feet had been a giveaway that she was hovering there.

Eshe stared at Leela for half a minute, waiting for her to speak, while the other girl stared back at her, most likely awaiting the same thing. The silence became too much, which was evident by the way both girl's eyes were darting around uncomfortably.

As Eshe opened her mouth, Leela suddenly came out with an inadvertently harsh sounding apology.

"I'm sorry!" her roommate squeaked, her eyebrows were knitted and her lips were pouting.

Eshe blinked, "oh- I, um… okay."

Leela huffed an exasperated sigh and stepped aside to let Eshe in, "I'm sorry", the girl repeated, a little less snappily this time, "I was being unfair last night, I overreacted and I regret what I said."

Eshe stepped into the flat, nodding slightly, relieved that Leela had realised she was being unjust in what she had said, "So you've changed your mind about Atem?"

Leela raised an eyebrow, "Uh, no, I still think he's a loser."

Eshe frowned, and her roommate rolled her eyes.

" _But_ ", Leela continued, letting out a soft sigh, "I was being selfish." Her admittance was spoken with a tone of shame and the girl crossed her arms over her chest uneasily. "I totally think it's great you have new friends", her roommate spoke, and Eshe tilted her head as she caught the way her eyes shifted quickly and how she casually scratched her nose. It was a lie; Leela obviously _wasn't_ happy that Eshe was making new friends, but perhaps the girl was aware that her feelings were irrational about it, and was simply trying to diffuse the tension.

"I just want you to be happy."

Now that was the truth; Leela's eyes caught her gaze firmly and her voice did not waver as she spoke, a surefire sign that her roommate was not fibbing.

Eshe watched her closely for a moment before her face softened forgivingly, "You've been my best friend since we were kids, Leela. No one is going to get in the way of that, I promise. Besides… this date- I bet nothing will even come of it. So don't worry, okay?"

Halfway through Eshe's declaration, Leela had interlocked her fingers and began to wring her hands. She pouted, lips quivering ever so slightly, and blinked away the sheen of tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes. Reflexively, Eshe pulled her roommate into a hug, and the other girl flung her arms around the other ardently, squeezing her purposefully hard.

"Leela… that's a bit too much", Eshe choked as her roommate practically crushed her in an eager embrace.

The other girl quickly let go of her, giving a teary-eyed and sheepish smile, "Sorry. Got carried away. I love you, y'know."

"I love you too, Leela", Eshe laughed.

Leela quickly rubbed her eyes and smiled, relieved that their temporary discord had come to an end.

"So… did you have fun yesterday?"

Eshe nodded with a grin, "Kicked Joey's ass in a duel, had some fun in the arcade, checked out some cool dinosaurs-" her face briefly fell, "I kinda... had a weird moment while we were walking around the museum."

Leela's smile faded, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know, at one point I just felt really sick out of nowhere- like I was gonna pass out. Also, I swear to god, I had some weird hallucination or something…"

Eshe looked up at her roommate's concerned expression, eyebrows knitted and her lips slightly parted.

"What… why? Are you okay?" Leela murmured, quickly moving to raise the back of her hand to Eshe's forehead, which was promptly and playfully swatted away.

"I'm fine now", Eshe snorted, "Téa thought I was dehydrated and hadn't eaten enough. She was probably right, I felt better after I had something to eat."

"Hallucinations are kinda serious, Eshe", the other girl told her, "You should go to a doctor."

"Psh, I'm fine, really", the tanned girl gave a smile, "I've been okay today, besides, it probably wasn't a hallucination… I just have an overactive imagination is all."

Leela did not look convinced, evident by her drawn out stare, "Well what did you see?"

Eshe opened her mouth to speak, and promptly closed it. There was no way she was going to tell Leela that she'd had a weird vision where she'd seen Atem dressed in strange clothes, which had ended suddenly as the boy had kissed her.

"You know… I don't even really remember", Eshe tried to make her face look as innocent as possible, but her roommate was all too aware of said expression, and saw right through her facade.

"Right", Leela grumbled sarcastically, "well if anything like that happens again, promise me you'll go to a doctor?"

Eshe sighed and nodded, "Okay, yes, fine."

Leela grabbed her wrist gently, "Good. Now, can we have that movie marathon we missed last night?"

With a smirk, Eshe nodded, "Let's do it."

* * *

Eshe eyed her reflection in the shop window self-consciously as she walked with a nervous bounce in her step down the street towards the forested park-area in central Domino; the sun was shining quite harshly but it was accompanied by a gentle, cool breeze.

She had always loved hot weather, especially when the humidity was low; her tolerance for heat was really quite high and it always made her tanned skin shine with a healthy glow.

Biting her lip, Eshe took a moment to look over her outfit, hoping that she hadn't dressed up too much. She'd tied her hair up with a braid hanging to frame either side of her face, and she'd added some mascara to her eyes to give her lashes a long, elegant look. No lipstick, Eshe had decided, because she always preferred her more natural appearance and didn't want to overdo it by completely covering every feature with cosmetics.

That was what Leela preferred to do- not that she was put off by people who wore a lot of makeup; she just wasn't fond of it all on her own face.

Her blouse was white with a black collar, buttons, cuffs and rim, and it went perfectly with her white flowy skirt- it stopped a couple of inches above her knee, which allowed her space to show off her legs without revealing _too_ much, and the material was covered with a beautiful, repetitive floral pattern of pink flowers.

Her sandals were black with red flowers on the straps, and to top it off she'd painted her toes and fingers with red nail polish, because she simply _had_ to cover up her awfully damaged nails- and since she was showing off her toes, it was important that they matched, right?

With a brown fringe-tassel suede shoulder bag sitting at her hip, and a simple, silver-band bracelet that Leela had bought her a few years ago for her fifteenth birthday, her look was complete.

It was obvious Eshe had wanted to impress with her appearance, no matter how many times she had denied it to Leela, but she only hoped Atem had put in the same amount of effort with his own outfit so that she didn't seem hopelessly desperate.

She _wasn't_ hopelessly desperate, she just wanted to look nice. That was all. She wasn't expecting to go very far with Atem, but it wasn't often that a boy she found attractive took an interest in her, and it was simply refreshing.

' _It might turn out we don't even have that much in common_ ', she had told Leela that morning when the girl had given her that awful pout once more. It was partly a lie, as apart from the initial staring, Eshe hadn't once felt uncomfortable in Atem's presence.

The park was just around the corner, Atem was probably already waiting for her. She inhaled and exhaled slowly as she walked; they'd decided to meet by the water fountain near the entrance and plan their day from there.

Eshe climbed the steps anxiously, and as she reached the top she spotted a familiar head of tri-coloured hair; the boy was sat on the edge of the circular water feature, his body twisted slightly as he watched the water rippling towards him from the centre of the fountain. Eshe swallowed as she approached him; he hadn't become aware of her presence yet.

She was glad that he was looking the other way when she floundered up to him because she was busy admiring the way his legs looked clad in black tapered skinny jeans and she certainly did not want to be caught checking him out.

Speaking of checking him out, his muscular arms were on full display thanks to the dark purple tank top he wore; he was surprisingly brawny for an eighteen year-old. Each of his biceps were decorated with a golden band, and as usual his Millennium Puzzle hung judiciously around his neck.

His shoes- black, flat sneakers- looked overtly luxurious and expensive, and around his hips was a silver-studded belt that doubled as a sort of holster for his Duel Monsters deck.

He looked quite enthralling, Eshe concluded, and then the boy turned to look at her and-

 _Oh._

 _Oh my._

She hadn't noticed before that he had a pair of gold-plated sapphire earrings hanging from his earlobes, but that wasn't what made him look so heart-stirringly handsome.

 _Well_ , the earrings were part of it, yes, but his eyes-

 _His eyes were already enticing enough_ , but he just _had_ to go ahead and wear eyeliner; it was practically Eshe's biggest weakness. Boys wearing eyeliner.

Atem had naturally long eyelashes, Eshe had noticed, but with the bottom of his eyelids covered with a thin, black contour, it made his stunning gaze all that more prominent.

Eshe had to dig her nails into her palms when the boy smiled at her, because the sight was enough to evoke the feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

' _Stop this, Eshe, you're acting like a schoolgirl with an overactive crush._ ' She thought, forcing herself to smile brightly in return.

Atem stood to greet her, and spoke in his charmingly baritone voice, "Eshe, you look- wonderful." He appeared to falter as his eyes flickered over her flowery attire, before settling on her face, his eyes glimmering with ardour. Eshe blinked as he held out his hand as if to shake her's- the gesture seemed odd to her as shaking someone's hand was usually something you did when you were meeting for the first time. However, it all became clear when she reached for his hand and he promptly lifted it to brush a light kiss to her knuckles.

"Th-thank you", Eshe shockingly managed to not squeal as she spoke; that was certainly an unpredictable action from Atem and it flustered her quite severely.

"Are you well?" the boy asked, and Eshe nodded shyly as he let go of her hand.

"Yes, I'm- I'm good!"

"Good", Atem chuckled softly, "I was worried you'd blacked out again- you were staring at me for a while without saying anything."

"No, I- I mean, I was- well… you're wearing eyeliner." Eshe inwardly cringed at how much of a stuttering mess she came across as.

"You don't like it?" Atem's fingers brushed his face reflexively just above his cheekbone, a slight knit of disappointment in his eyebrows.

"No, I love it! I mean, I like it- you look great- it looks great- good."

Eshe bit her lip to force herself to shut up before she could ramble any further; Atem's smile returned and he looked all too amused by her stammering.

" _Anyway_ , why don't we get some ice cream?" Eshe suggested, trying to divert attention away from her poor social skills. She'd spotted the ice-cream vendor out of the corner of her peripheral vision across the square.

Atem followed her gaze and nodded, slipping his thumbs into the pockets of his skinny jeans, "Good idea."

* * *

The duo found themselves sitting on a park bench, relaxing in the shade of the cherry blossom tree above. It was a gorgeous sight to behold, the stark contrast of the pale pink petals and the bright green grass below them made Eshe wanted to pull out her colouring pencils and replicate the scenery in the pages of her sketchbook.

Eshe was struggling to consume her vanilla cone before the scorching heat of the sun melted the ice-cream all over fingers and into a sticky predicament, but she continued to devour it quickly so as not to look like a fool in front of the boy sat beside her.

"So… when did you discover your talent for drawing?"

Eshe glanced up at Atem, who had just about finished his fruity ice-pop and was nonchalantly playing with the little wooden stick between his teeth.

"Oh, we gonna play twenty questions, huh? Alright, I'm up for that", Eshe smirked with her response and Atem smiled sheepishly, "I've been drawing ever since I learnt how to hold a pencil- of course I wasn't so great at it when I started off. I learned how to draw with years of practise."

Atem watched her attentively, nodding in acknowledgement of her answer. "Are you much interested in art?" Eshe asked the boy.

"I'm interested in yours."

With a smirk, Eshe looked up at the trees, "Well, maybe I can show you some of my drawings some time."

"I'd like that", Atem spoke pleasantly.

Eshe bit her lip to hide a coy smile, quickly thinking up a question she'd like to ask him, "What's your favourite game?"

"Duel Monsters." Atem replied without a moment to think about it, and Eshe giggled.

"Of course, and apart from Duel Monsters?"

Atem blinked, eyes flitting up to look at the cherry blossoms as he tried to recall if he _had_ a favourite game other than Duel Monsters. Eshe became more amused the longer it took him to answer, but eventually he smiled and told her, "I used to play a game called Senet."

"Senet? What's that?"

"It's a board game that originated in Ancient Egypt. Partly a game of chance, but it also requires strategy and skill to play", he spoke matter-of-factly, and pulled the ice-pop stick out of his mouth to gesture with it habitually.

"Ancient Egypt, huh? Why am I not surprised", she laughed good-naturedly, "you seem very knowledgeable when it comes to Egyptian culture."

Atem smiled and looked away from her, playing with the little wooden stick in his hands.

"When did you move to Egypt?" Eshe asked curiously, and Atem straightened up skittishly.

"I thought it was my turn to ask a question."

"Tsh. Okay, go on then", Eshe smirked.

Atem opened his mouth and then closed it, a thoughtful look passed over his face and he hummed. The boy didn't even have a question ready, he had just been stalling; nevertheless, Eshe waited patiently for him to speak.

"Ummm… when's your birthday?"

Simple question, Eshe shrugged, "April 11th. Now, when did you move to Egypt?"

Atem sighed, leaning back slightly as he crossed his right leg over his left, "I… have lived in Egypt most of my life", he spoke hesitantly, and although he hadn't exactly answered the question, it implied the answer she had been looking for.

"Favourite colour?" Atem asked sheepishly, and his question caused Eshe to laugh harmoniously.

"Ahhh, probably like… blue", she replied nonchalantly, glancing up at the relatively clear sky as she spoke.

"So, why didn't you grow up with Yugi?"

Atem's eyebrows knitted and he looked down at his puzzle, wringing the chain between his fingers. Eshe inferred that perhaps the answer may have had something to do with his and Yugi's parents; she didn't like to assume things but given that the boys currently lived with their grandfather and neither of them had mentioned their mother or father, that maybe they weren't really _around_ for whatever reason.

"You don't have to answer that, nevermind." Eshe reconsidered, pushing herself up off the bench; she shook her head slightly, dislodging the blossoms that had settled in her hair, and Atem did the same.

"Shall we walk?" Eshe asked, and Atem nodded, falling into step beside her with a small smile on his face, possibly relieved that she had retracted her other question.

They spotted a free set of swings in the recreation area a while later and decided to make themselves comfortable on the playground equipment that was _intended_ for younger individuals, but hey, there was no kids around and no-one to stop them.

' _Living life on the edge_ ', Eshe thought amusedly as she claimed one of the swings and immediately set a fast pace, comically yelling " _wheeee!_ " as she swung, much to Atem's entertainment. He took the swing beside her, not quite matching her lively pace.

"So, uhh, favourite… animal?" Eshe called at the peak of her swing.

"Cats, I think", Atem laughed and Eshe eyed him with playful curiosity.

"Is that because Ancient Egyptians worshipped them, or…?"

"There are plenty of reasons for someone to like cats", Atem spoke defensively, though his slight smirk was clear.

"Fair enough. They're pretty cute animals. I like birds, though."

She'd loved birds for as long as she could remember; even as a child she had approached birds with pure intentions, and rarely had they flown away out of fear. Her classmates had always been wowed by her affinity with the winged animals, but she had tried not to show off in front of schoolkids when it came to it, because as it happened- young kids just _loved_ to chase and frighten birds away.

"Oh, that reminds me." Atem spoke, coming to a halt from his relaxed swinging pace; the suddenness of his statement sparked Eshe's curiosity and she spontaneously, out of reflex, dug her heels into the ground to bring herself to a sudden stop.

"What is it?"

"You like birds. I've got something to show you", he declared with a smile, and held out his hand. Eshe's cheeks pinkened slightly and she took his hand; he began to lead her across a green field, which would absolutely be great for a picnic some time, towards the secondary exit of the park.

When they came to a stop, Eshe spied a series of benches where a few people sat- there was an old woman, a young mother and her little daughter, and there was a middle-aged man.

They were all surrounded by many, many pigeons.

"Ohhhh", Eshe hummed, smiling delightfully.

"Téa showed me this area once. There's always a lot of birds around because you can buy birdseed and feed them." Atem explained, motioning to the special vending machine that advertised a little bag of birdseed for a small price.

"This is… really sweet", Eshe observed the young mother and her child, overjoyed that the little girl was sat contentedly feeding the pigeons and not running around to chase them like she had seen so many children do before.

Atem had walked over to the vending machine, inserted some coins, and pulled out a bag of birdseed; he returned to Eshe where they sat on one of the benches, and he offered her the bag.

"Thank you", Eshe murmured appreciatively as she took the bag; this was truly the most wonderful and thoughtful date she had ever been on, and it was so simple. A walk in the park, ice cream, swinging on the swingset, and now they were feeding the birds; Eshe couldn't hold back the way she smiled dorkily at Atem.

The boy merely smiled back, nodding slightly in acknowledgement of her gratification.

Pigeons had already began to congregate around them, no doubt having spied the familiar bag in Eshe's hands, knowing what it meant.

So Eshe wasted no time, she gently pulled the bag open and scattered the small seeds across the pavement; revelling as more birds flocked excitedly to consume their lunch. Atem sat straight and calmly beside her, hands clasped and resting in his lap as he watched Eshe feed the birds with a spark of affection in his eyes.

* * *

At around two o'clock, Eshe and Atem found themselves strolling through the town; they'd decided to stop and have lunch, settling with a food-stall that sold burgers and fries. Sat at the small table, they devoured lunch in contentment, both of them occasionally stealing the other's chips mischievously.

"So, you're great at most games, you have a tremendous fascination with Egyptology, lived there most of your life… got any random, interesting facts about yourself that you'd care to share?" Eshe inquired, nibbling on a chip distractedly.

Atem blinked his perfectly long lashes curiously before shrugging slightly, quickly followed by an offhanded admission of, "I'm a skillful swordsman."

Eshe was glad she'd finished chewing her food by the time the boy spoke because it caused a laugh to erupt from her, " _What?_ "

Atem looked a little perplexed by her reaction, but was sporting a smile of amusement on his face, "I can fight with a sword", he clarified.

"No, I heard you the first time, I just- you can fight with a sword? That's weird and a bit cool."

"Oh", Atem chuckled, "well, uh, I'm glad you think it's cool."

Eshe looked unsatisfied, she needed to know more, "Okay but, like, how do you know how to swordfight? And _why_?"

Atem gave a soft huff of amusement, trying to shrug it off as a totally normal thing, like everyone should know how to swordfight. "Why not?" he countered, "I was taught in Egypt, by my- um, by a trained instructor."

Eshe nodded, an inquiring eyebrow still raised, "I guess that's why you're so-"

"Why I'm so?" Atem followed on her sentence when she cut herself short; a tinge of pink reached Eshe's cheeks.

"Why you're so… athletic?" the pitch of her voice rose as she spoke the last word, and she quickly cleared her throat to remove all evidence of her flustered demeanour.

"Ah... yes, it was important that I kept fit", he spoke, before gazing up at the sky nostalgically, "I miss swordfighting, actually."

Eshe's eyes flickered to his impressive, muscular arms while she could get away with it; Atem became more and more interesting the more they spoke, but there was still something oddly mysterious about him - she couldn't place her finger on it.

The day went on, the two talking about their favourite movies, future aspirations, or simply retelling stories of past-times.

Atem, as Eshe found out, was not an avid movie-watcher, apparently. He informed her that he had watched one the other night - he'd watched it with Yugi and their friends.

"I think it was called Star Wars", Atem had offered.

"Which one was it?"

"There's more than one?"

Eshe had laughed; this boy was clearly not into mainstream media- but he'd assured her that he wasn't because he was not interested, but rather that he'd never really had the time.

"Well, maybe we should see a movie some time." Eshe had suggested casually.

"What kind of movie?"

"Whatever's on." Atem had nodded his assent in response, happy with the idea of spending more time with Eshe.

Eshe was surprised by his very carefree and aloof attitude to what his future goals were or what kind of career he wanted. She at least knew she wanted to do something with art, but getting a job in that subject was very difficult, and she spent a lot of time doubting where she was going to go in life. It made her envious of Atem's easygoing resolve regarding it; she wished she could be so laid-back.

Before they knew it, it was late afternoon, and Eshe's legs were aching pretty badly; they had walked back to the Game shop, Eshe figured she'd just take the bus home to give her legs a rest. Atem had insisted on accompanying her but Eshe assured him she was fine and could take the bus by herself, which had left the boy a little sheepish.

"Atem", Eshe spoke when they both fell into an extended, comfortable silence outside the boy's home. The sun was beginning to set and it bathed the sky in a pleasant orange glow.

"I had so much fun today", she admitted, biting her lip at how cliche her words sounded, as if she was in some cringey American teen romance.

"I did too." Atem murmured, and his eyes shined beautifully.

"Do you think we could do this again?" Eshe asked, hesitant and hopeful, and Atem smiled.

"Yes, absolutely."

With a soft exhale of relief, Eshe grinned, "Good."

He held out his hand, and Eshe blinked. Was he going to-?

 _Yep._

He was going to kiss the back of her hand again.

Why did he have to set the bar so high for every other guy in the world? Eshe's hand tingled warmly where Atem's lips had brushed her skin, and she hid her shy smile by biting her lip.

"See you soon?" Atem asked softly.

"Yes, I'll see you soon."

The bus pulled round the corner with perfect timing; Eshe boarded the vehicle and waved to Atem as it drove off. He waited until the bus had rounded the next corner before he turned to walk towards the Game shop, a contained but ecstatic laugh leaving his mouth.

Everything felt great, it seemed like he didn't have to worry about failing to regain Eshe's affections and her memories before his ninety days were up. He could do it, he still had seventy-seven days left and he'd gotten so far already. Nothing could stop him, and nothing could ruin his fantastic mood.

"Atem."

As Atem entered the Game shop, Yugi appeared to greet him and faltered at the wide smile on the Pharaoh's face. Atem's eyebrows knitted at the grave look the other boy was giving him.

"Yugi?"

"Ishizu sent another email", the boy spoke hesitantly, like he didn't want to say what he had to say; his whole demeanour was alarmingly serious and Atem felt dread trickle through him at the somber tone of his partner's voice.

"She managed to dig deep and find the files from the autopsy that was carried out on Eshe's body after her tomb was unearthed."

Atem swallowed, his lip curling in disgust as Yugi spoke the word _autopsy._ The pale boy clenched his hands at his sides and stammered, unable to meet Atem's gaze.

"The specialists uncovered evidence of a- a stab wound through her chest. Right where her heart would have been."

Atem froze, his lips parted, but he did not speak.

"But that's not all… they-" Yugi grit his teeth, "they believe all forensics evidence points to it being self-inflicted."

Yugi bristled anxiously at the blank, unreadable expression Atem's face fell into; it was almost as unnerving as the information he'd just learned.

"Which means- it… Atem, it was-" Yugi paused, unwilling to say the word.

"...Suicide."

* * *

 **Notes: Oh dang ;) Please review, my lovelies, it makes me so happy to see your reviews, even if they're short and sweet!**


	10. All The Things I've Got To Remember

Transcending Time

Chapter Nine: You're All The Things I've Got To Remember

'... _Paint your palette blue and grey, look out on a summer's day with eyes that know the darkness in my soul…_ '

Eshe hummed to the music emanating from her iPod dock across the room as she gently scratched in the intricate details of her latest drawing with distinct precision, firmly but tenderly holding the graphite pencil between her thumb and forefinger.

The presence of a soft voice and a melodic tune removed the desire to bump her leg up and down as she transferred the visions in her head to paper.

She hadn't had a spare couple of hours during the last week to sit and draw for her dream-diary; now it was Friday morning, and she had several sketches she wanted to get down before leaving for work.

Monday morning had gifted her an interesting dream that appeared to continue from a previous one; the night she had dreamt herself as a seven-year-old on a journey with her father to a fanciful palace amongst a kingdom along the Egyptian Nile had trailed off when she'd awoken, but as she slept, it had faded back in right where it left off, as if a few days of consciousness hadn't separated the whimsical visions.

They'd reached the palace at last… 

* * *

_A stocky, elderly man by the name of Shimon awaited Eshe and her father at the steps that led up to the large palace as the two royals exited their carriage before him; he was accompanied by a slew of guards whose gazes remained lowered in respect, although, being the petite height Eshe was, it was hard for them to avoid looking at her face without staring directly at their feet._

 _Eshe didn't mind, she smiled and wiggled her fingers in a wave as one of the young guard's eyes flickered briefly to her face - and her smile only widened when the man's lips curled upwards at the corners._

" _Ah, Prince Nizam, welcome back to the kingdom of Pharaoh Aknamkanon. My king is awaiting your presence in the throne room", the old man spoke, nodding his acknowledgement and respect of the ex-king of Upper Egypt; his gaze lowered to the small girl standing at her father's side, "and you must be Princess Eshe. It is a pleasure to meet you, young one. My name is Shimon, I am one of the six Guardians of Pharaoh Aknamkanon's court."_

 _Eshe nodded, a nervous twitchy smile on her face as the man introduced himself, "It is nice to meet you", she responded politely with a slight bow of her head. The man wasn't at all intimidating, it was his position that made her anxious; Eshe's father had warned her that it was just as important to make a good impression on all of the High Priests of the Pharaoh's court as much as the Pharaoh and his son themselves._

 _The young princess took this warning very seriously; she wanted to be well-liked from the onset if she was to live in the palace for the foreseeable future, and that meant she could only be on her best behaviour._

 _Shimon nodded in what appeared to be approval, before turning back to Prince Nizam, "please, if you will, follow me."_

 _They climbed the many steps - her father, the priest and the guards seemed to do so with ease - but Eshe lagged slightly behind. Her little legs could only carry her so far, and it was especially difficult at a steep angle when the steps were just a bit too awkwardly tall for her small stature. The guard she had smiled at before remained just behind her, matching her slow pace and watching her closely with a restrained, amused expression; the young princess felt her laboured breathing was audible enough for the group of them to realise that she might have needed a hand, but either they hadn't caught on or they were ignoring her plight._

 _Or perhaps they just guessed she was independent enough to defeat the troublesome steps all on her own._

 _In which case, she'd prove them right and determinedly climb the steps with renewed vigour._

 _With a dramatic, bellowing sigh, Eshe finally reached the peak of the steps and admired the large archway before her that led into a wide courtyard decorated with pillars, wall murals, alabaster vases, and square ponds full of colourful fish._

 _Everything was symmetrically pleasing to look at, the colours painted upon the walls were bright; guards stood regally around the room, stoic and respectful._

 _Her father had told her the palace was beautiful, but it was only just hitting her as she looked upon it's glory; perhaps living here would not be so bad._

" _The throne room is this way", Shimon spoke, directing ahead with a motion of his arm, and Eshe scrambled to return to her father's side, having been distracted by the sight around her._

 _Prince Nizam glanced down at his daughter and smiled at the wonderment on the young girl's face, "You see now, young one? The beauty of Pharaoh Aknamkanon's palace."_

 _Eshe nodded gently; the palace she'd lived in since birth was smaller than this one, and although the walls were embellished with imposing carvings and paintings, the colours were nowhere near as bright as the ones surrounding her at that very moment._

" _Mmm", the young princess hummed in agreement, her eyes still sparkling as she marvelled._

 _They traversed through several corridors and doorways before coming to a stop in front of an intricately designed majestic door. The guards that had accompanied them broke away to stand either side of the throne-room entrance, and the young guard Eshe had smiled at gave her a subtle nod of avowal, which she returned with a friendly expression._

" _Prince Nizam, Princess Eshe, welcome to the throne room", Shimon spoke, and the guards pushed the heavy doors apart, revealing a long, wide, magnificent hall._

 _Music was playing as they stepped into the room, prettily-dressed women danced at the sidelines, and at the opposite end, a raised platform of golden stairs._

 _A resplendent man in a gold-lined purple coat sat stiffly in the throne, watching Eshe and her father closely as they reached the base of the steps and halted. Shimon climbed the steps to join the other five guardians encompassing the throne protectively in their cautious stances._

 _Eshe's eyes were drawn to the young boy stood beside the throne- Prince Atem, she assumed. He was obviously royalty if the dazzling adornments on his body were anything to go by; the small, golden crown perched among his wildly spiky hair was the more apparent giveaway in that regard._

 _The young prince stared back at her, his expression neutral and curious about her._

" _Prince Nizam", the Pharaoh nodded to him in acknowledgment, "I take it you had a comfortable journey?"_

" _I did, my Pharaoh", Eshe's father confirmed, his voice the definition of deference, "It is an honour to stand before you again. Please, allow me to introduce my daughter, Princess Eshe."_

 _Eshe felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle up as all eyes in the room turned to her, and she inhaled a shaky breath and bowed her respect to the Pharaoh. Prince Atem's head tilted with slight inquisitiveness at the sight of her twitchiness._

" _Princess Eshe", Pharaoh Aknamkanon greeted her with a kind tone, "I have hopes that you will become good friends with my son, Atem."_

 _The boy in question, glanced briefly up at his father and then regarded Eshe with a friendly smile, and the young princess felt her nerves fade ever-so-slightly._

* * *

Eshe had awoken, already past the point of questioning why she'd dreamt of Atem as a child, even less his and Yugi's grandfather. She'd already chosen what part of her dream she was going to bring to life within her drawings.

Of all the glorious imagery she had imagined that night, she had chosen to draw the nameless guard who had gifted her a small smile when she'd felt out of her depth. The man had been slender, yet muscular, and his deeply tanned skin glistened with perspiration under the harsh sunlight. He'd worn a white skirt- or maybe it was more like a kilt- and his chest had been bare; in one hand he'd clutched a spear, and his hair (if he indeed had any) was hidden by a protective linen head cover.

He hadn't remained nameless for very long, as the following night he had made a second appearance within her unconscious visions.

* * *

" _This will be your room for as long as you live here, princess. If there is anything you need to make your time here more comfortable then you may call upon me; I will be your handmaiden."_

 _Eshe was led by an older woman into a grand room that appeared the embodiment of comfort and leisure. The bed was incredibly large for her small height and it made her giddy to think that she'd have so much sleeping space for herself, and across the room there was a vanity desk with a stand of colourful adornments. The small balcony opposite her bed had a delightful view of what seemed to be one of the courtyards; but at that moment Eshe was admiring the wide armoire in the corner which was no doubt filled with an entire wardrobe of princessly attire._

 _A large room like this was not what she had been expecting, the Pharaoh was very generous to give her such a spacious place, not to mention a gift of fine clothes and jewels to bedeck herself with._

" _Thank you…" Eshe murmured softly, trailing off as she looked up at her new handmaiden- the woman had not given the girl her name._

" _My name is Usi, princess. I have been asked to help you prepare for bed, as you must have had an exhausting journey here", the handmaiden spoke formally, hands clasped gently in front of her; her posture was prim and proper and her wrinkled face held a neutral expression._

" _But it's still early", Eshe spoke with a frown, glancing out to the balcony where the late-afternoon sun shone through._

" _It is necessary you are well-rested for your arrival celebrations tomorrow, but if you wish, I can give you a little while longer to settle before you sleep."_

 _Eshe nodded her assent, "Okay. Thank you, Usi."_

 _The handmaiden nodded, and turned to exit the room, leaving young Eshe alone within her brand new living environment. The princess gave a soft sigh and strayed to the balcony, pressing her hands to the ledge to try and peek over the top of it- she could only just see the scenery below her, and caught sight of vivid green grass and colourful, blooming flowers around a small pond._

 _At once, she wanted to discover how extensive and beautiful the gardens here were in comparison to the ones back home- well, back at her father's palace. Aknamkanon's kingdom was located closer to the Nile river, and therefore was sure to have much richer planes and brighter shrubbery._

 _Eshe turned to scurry across her new room and quickly swung the door open, gaining the attention of the two guards posted outside her room._

" _Is everything okay, princess?"_

 _To Eshe's relief, she recognised one of the guards as the man she had become marginally familiar with earlier that afternoon, and smiled brightly as she asked, "What's your name?"_

 _The guard knelt to her height and responded cordially, "My name is Asim, princess. Is there anything I can do for you?"_

 _She could see easily that he had cloudy green eyes and a light scar on the right side of his jaw._

" _Please could you show me the way to the gardens, Asim?" she asked, hopeful and pleading._

 _Asim nodded and returned to his full height, "If that is what you wish, princess. I will escort you there and supervise your time in the gardens."_

" _Thank you!" Eshe squeaked, eliciting a quiet chuckle from the guard. She followed the man down winding hallways and a few flights of steps, all the while observing the hieroglyphic carvings engraved in the walls._

 _They reached the gardens in no time at all and Eshe's mouth dropped open in amazement at the sight of the well-kept foliage framing the pathway that twisted with spiralling stepping stones towards the ponds. On the other side, sloping steps lead up to a terraced area built for relaxing in the shade. It was beyond gorgeous, and Asim stepped aside, taking a stiff stance by the entrance, electing to supervise the young princess from a short distance instead of leering over her shoulder the whole time._

" _I will be here, should you need me."_

 _Eshe nodded, a wide grin on her face; she excitedly hopped across the stepping stones towards the lightly rippling surface of the pond. She knelt by it, not too close- she didn't want to lose her balance, tumble in and simmer with mortification when Asim inevitably pulled her from the water._

 _Instead, she watched the brightly coloured fish through the shimmery, effervescent surface, glinting with every slight rippling disturbance in the late-afternoon sunlight._

 _A glance up into the overhanging tree helped her discover the animal responsible for the sing-song chirruping she was suddenly aware of. She smiled at the small winged creature and it shook its feathers, tilting it's small head to eye her cautiously._

 _She identified it as a Plover bird, evident by it's grey wings, white breast and black-feathery head. A white trail of feathers traced the area from the tip of its black beak, just over it's beady eyes, to cross at the back of its head._

" _Hello", she greeted it softly, and the plover swooped down to peck at the grass a few feet away from her, no doubt searching for worms and other insects to snack on._

 _Eshe crossed her hands in her lap and watched the bird hop around, probing the rich soil for food, and before long it was joined by two other birds of the same species._

" _What pretty birds", the young princess spoke gingerly, and remained still when one of the plovers hopped up onto her knee- perhaps with the intent to inspect her for food._

" _I'm not a bug", she giggled, and the little creature tilted its head in inquiry._

 _For as long as she could remember, she had a sweet fondness for birds, and in return they were happy to befriend her, never scared of her._

 _She watched the birds scutter around and lazily plucked up a flower that had fallen from the bush beside her; she turned it over in her hands and inspected the slightly wilted petals with a pout._

" _What are you doing?"_

 _The sudden, close voice startled Eshe slightly and she turned quickly as the plovers flew away with a fright._

 _Prince Atem stood nearby, watching her with knitted eyebrows, lips parted with curiosity; his wide, deep purple eyes followed the plovers as they flew off at once._

" _Um… I-"_

" _Picking flowers?" Atem cut her off, turning his gaze back to her with a deep frown, "You shouldn't do that. Those flowers are rare." He seemed upset at the prospect of the princess ruining his father's garden._

" _No!" Eshe squeaked with restrained indignance; she hated being accused of things she didn't do, she hurried to explain, "The flower had already fallen, I picked it off the ground."_

 _Atem's face softened immediately, "Oh, sorry."_

 _Eshe gave a sigh of relief, happy the boy didn't regard her with mistrust; she looked up to where the plovers had hastily soared away and frowned, dismayed that the boy had scared them off._

 _The young prince followed her gaze and stepped closer to her, "They weren't scared of you…" he stated, a spark of interest in his voice._

" _No", Eshe confirmed, looking back at him inquisitively, wondering if he'd come to the gardens for a reason or perhaps had noticed her out here._

" _How come?" he raised an eyebrow, tilting his round head in puzzlement._

 _Eshe shrugged slightly, "Birds aren't afraid of me… I'm not a very scary person."_

" _Am I a scary person?" he asked, a tone of bewilderment to his voice as he pointed a finger at himself, causing the princess to giggle._

" _I don't think so. You just spoke too loudly."_

 _Atem looked content with her answer and gave a small smile as he sat beside her with a look of avid curiousness; perhaps he had come to get to know her on the basis that the two would be living in the palace together._

" _Do you like it here?" Atem asked, brushing his fingers airily through the grass._

" _It's… nice. I've only been here a few hours, so I'm not sure yet." Eshe replied honestly, twiddling her thumbs and trying not to stare at his quite unusual hair._

 _Her gaze was far too scrutinising and he raised a self-conscious hand to brush through his blond bangs, letting out an irate huff. Eshe bit her lip apologetically._

" _Sorry. Your hair is… um, different."_

 _That only seemed to make him more miffed, "Well…" he began, sounding as though he was about to take a dig at her own appearance, but he trailed off after a moment, apparently not finding anything to make fun of._

 _Eshe hid an amused smile behind her hand as he grumbled something insignificant under his breath, "I didn't mean that as an insult! I like it", she clarified, and Atem blinked his wide eyes at her, the irritation draining from his expression._

" _Oh", he murmured, brushing his hand through the rest of his hair._

" _Your father's hair isn't that colour. His hair is ashy.", she observed, and Atem's eyebrows knitted._

" _It didn't used to be. It used to be black, but running a kingdom turned it grey", Atem explained, and Eshe blinked, nodding._

" _Hm… actually, my dad has grey hairs too…"_

 _Atem smirked as she mused, "My hair is more like my mother's was."_

" _Your mother?" Eshe spoke with a questioning tone, she hadn't seen his mother yet._

 _The way Atem's gaze fell was evident why; she was no longer alive, it should've been obvious from the way he referred to her in the past tense. Get it together, Eshe._

" _I see", Eshe spoke, and then a little softer, "I'm sorry."_

" _It happened when I was a baby", Atem informed her, shaking his head gently._

 _The young prince knitted his eyebrows as Eshe gave him a pitying look, so she quickly wiped it from her face and changed the subject, "what do you do for fun around here?"_

" _Um… I play games", he answered, blinking at her._

" _What kind of games?"_

" _All kinds", he responded with a shrug of his shoulders._

" _Like hide and seek?" Eshe suggested, and the boy beside her smiled._

" _Yes, but I must warn you, I'm the hide and seek champion around here."_

 _Eshe smirked and huffed in his face, "I wouldn't be so sure! Tomorrow, after the celebrations, we can play hide and seek and I'll show you who the real boss is!"_

 _The prince leaned forward with a sly grin, "Just don't cry when I win."_

" _Ugh, you'll be the one crying!" Eshe squeaked._

 _Across the garden, Asim chuckled at the sight of a new friendship blooming._

* * *

Eshe had elected to draw the curious plover to represent that specific instance of the fantasy world within her mind; she smiled fondly as she drew, even in her dreams the birds were her friends. She assumed such a dream sequence had been triggered by her delightful date on the Saturday before.

She had briefly considered drawing the young prince, adorable as a child, but opted instead to depict his likeness following the dream she'd then had Wednesday night; an image that she couldn't remove from her mind. It had been short, but it had made her feel warm upon awakening; Prince Atem had been there, perhaps only a few years younger than the _real_ Atem - his face had been a little rounder and his eyes had appeared softer. It was a vision she wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

 _Eshe breathed the scent of wild flowers and loamy soil from her crouched position amongst the garden shrubbery, exhaling a quiet, content sigh. The day was beautiful; the sky was a brilliant blue and the freshly watered grass reflected gentle beads of light from the bright sun above. Truly, it was a magnificent sight, but it was not what Eshe's eyes were drawn to._

 _Prince Atem was absorbed in his studies; eyes scanning over the papyrus scroll he held at arm's length; he sat on the stone rim of the water fountain, his left leg tucked under his right, and his right leg hanging off the edge. He'd removed his sandals, and his toes were idly poking at the damp grass below him as his gaze flickered across the paper, silently reading the hieroglyphics and absorbing the information._

 _His tutor must have been feeling generous to let him study in the gardens today; usually the prince would be made to sit in the library. Granted, on a day like this, the archive rooms would have been stuffy and hot - not a perfect learning environment for the future Pharaoh who seemed to complain all too much about the hot weather whenever he had to attend his classes._

 _Eshe had just finished her arithmetic lessons, and she had been on her way out to the gardens for a spot of relaxation when she'd seen Atem through the apertures surrounding the courtyard. With quick thinking, and an unwillingness to distract the boy while he was learning, Eshe had ducked through one of the archways and clambered down amid the greenery of the bushes._

 _The perfect cover-camouflage for a sneaky princess such as herself._

 _There, she had remained for five minutes, simply watching the prince work through his academic tasks. Eshe's cheeks pinkened as she watched the boy responsible for her little infatuation; she adored the way he looked when he held such concentration on his face. The way his eyes remained stern, and the way his lips pursed as he debated his thoughts over whatever it was he was reading._

 _Eshe found him handsome- annoyingly so- unable to keep her thoughts off of him. She shoved her knuckles into her mouth and nibbled on them distractedly as she glared at the offensively_ _ **perfect**_ _boy across from her who was minding his own business, none-the-wiser to her company and her frustrated irritation._

 _Then there was the way he always smiled at her with his wide, innocent eyes- did he_ _ **know**_ _what he was doing to her? Making her turn red as she fumbled over her chaste attraction to the prince. She didn't dare admit to him that she thought him more than just a friend; she was sure he didn't feel the same way._

 _Eshe had witnessed something recently that solidified her assumptions, when the newest Priest of the court - Priest Seto - had brought to light the issue of Atem being obligated to find a wife. The Priest had informed Atem that since he was approaching his mid-teens, it was the excellent time to start thinking about his familial future, planting the ideas of producing an heir into his head._

 _Atem had never looked more uncomfortable in his life, and the scene had certainly stuck with Eshe._

 _Priest Seto had probably meant well, but the prince had taken every opportunity to drop the subject, instead electing to talk about how he could kick Seto's butt in a game of Senet._

 _The only thing Eshe could infer from the situation was that Atem wasn't interested in romance, or at the very least he wasn't interested in pursuing her in that sense. She'd been there in the room when Atem had avoided talking about it; and Priest Seto had even glanced her way a few times before regarding Atem with an expectant look._

 _Eshe was pulled from her thoughts when Atem placed his scroll down to wipe the sweat from his forehead onto his forearm, before brushing a hand through his hair. She could see the way his blond bangs clung to his head, damp with perspiration, and she tugged on her braid to stop herself from squealing at the sight of his fetching, dishevelled appearance._

 _Why was she so obsessed with this boy?_

* * *

She'd woken that morning, giggling at how ridiculous her dream-self had been, acting like a schoolgirl with an out-of-control crush on the boy. Still, the virtuous and guiltless love emanating from her soul within the dream had left her feeling refreshed; she hadn't felt that feeling in a long time- even if it wasn't real.

There was no way she wasn't going to draw the ethereal, young prince sat focused in the midst of his schooling. She drew attentively, but no matter how hard she tried, she didn't feel like she was capturing the pure sensations of her vision on paper.

A trickle of embarrassment passed through her at the idea of Atem discovering her drawing; she be left a stuttering mess trying to explain _that_ one.

Placing the finished sketch aside, Eshe took a moment to stretch her arms and back before she returned to work on her final drawing for that week.

Thursday morning had been dreamless, and she was thankful for that, but Friday morning, _that_ morning, Eshe had had a new and interesting vision.

* * *

" _Dalila, have you seen my favourite bracelet?" Eshe called to her friend as she scanned her collection of jewels and baubles amongst her vanity desk with a hint of urgency._

" _Where did you leave it?"_

 _Eshe frowned at her fair-haired friend with a sarcastic look; the girl was reclined in the chair across the room watching the princess with a lazy smirk._

" _If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't be searching frivolously, would I?" Eshe replied, a hint of impatience in her voice._

" _Why are you always misplacing things?" Dalila murmured with a roll of her eyes, a good-natured smile on her face._

" _Because I rely on you to keep track of everything I do", Eshe squeaked, "You know my life is far too hectic!"_

 _Dalila snorted, "Your bracelet is on your bedside table, princess."_

 _With an indignant grumble, Eshe scampered over to her bed to swipe the bracelet from her desk, "You could've just told me that to begin with."_

" _It's fun watching you freak out, Eshe."_

" _Thanks for leaving me fretting that I'd lost it."_

" _Anytime, my friend."_

 _Eshe rolled her eyes, quickly returning to her vanity to apply her kohl eyeliner with expert precision. Although she'd been friends with Dalila since she was nine, the girl just_ _ **loved**_ _to torment her._

" _Trying to pretty yourself up for Atem?" Dalila teased, playing with the fabric of her dress - a striking green material that matched her eyes._

" _Shut up", Eshe grumbled, her cheeks twinging red._

 _Dalila's grin turned sly, and she twirled a finger through her brown locks knowingly, "I thought you'd given up trying to win his affections. You said he didn't like you that way. Honestly, I don't know why you bother."_

" _Dalila", Eshe whined, "Stop crushing my hopes."_

" _Piling makeup on isn't gonna change the fact that he's not into you. Boys are dolts, they don't know beauty when it's standing right in front of them."_

" _Well I'm not putting on makeup to try to win him over, okay? I'm doing it because I want to, so drop that attitude."_

 _Dalila raised an eyebrow, and mumbled under her breath, "But you hate wearing makeup…"_

 _Frustrated at the subject of conversation, Eshe changed the topic, "Speaking of boys, I've seen the way you look at Rura. You got the hots for that novice magician?"_

 _Dalila's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets, "UGH, what in Ra's name gave you that idea?"_

 _Eshe turned with a malicious grin, "Oh, now look who's flustered!"_

" _I'm not flustered, I'm disgusted." Dalila deadpanned, "Your perception must be clouded."_

" _I saw you making eyes at him yesterday when he walked past the courtyard, what was all that about?"_

" _I was_ _ **scowling**_ _at him, nothing more, nothing less." Dalila crossed her arms sassily and Eshe turned to her fully as she finished applying eyeliner, watching her friend closely._

" _Why were you scowling at him?"_

" _He's in some stupid rivalry with my brother, they're both competing to be Mahad's top student and loath as my brother is to admit it, Rura is a superior magician…"_

 _Eshe hummed thoughtfully, "Atsu is an excellent magician though. He's always showing me little tricks with his magic. He's been trying to turn lotuses into daisies but he hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet", she chuckled retrospectively, "I suppose that's why he needs to up his game."_

" _Well that's just it, my brother tries to alter the properties of flowers while Rura is exceeding in destructive magic, which is apparently a far more useful skill to have", Dalila spoke sarcastically, shaking her head in annoyance. "It's pissing my brother off, and then he complains to me which pisses_ _ **me**_ _off, so I like to show Rura that he's inadvertently pissing me off."_

" _I think you need to relax a little, Dalila. Why don't you join Atem and me in the gardens for lunch?" Eshe offered with a smile._

" _And suffer through you batting your eyelids at him while he's completely oblivious to it all? Not a chance, honey. I'll find you later in the archives?" Dalila suggested, jumping to her feet quickly._

 _Eshe sighed, eyes dropping to her feet, "Okay."_

 _Dalila paused, disconcerted to see her friend so upset, "Hey, Eshe, don't let a boy get you upset." She shrugged slightly, "His loss if he's not into you. There's plenty more fish in the sea…"_

 _Eshe smiled slightly, holding out her arms for a hug, and Dalila obliged quickly, wrapping her arms around the princess in a comforting hold._

* * *

It was Leela.

Eshe had dreamt of a girl who looked almost identical to her best friend; she sketched on auto-pilot, thinking about the subtle differences in appearance comparing Leela to the girl in her dream, Dalila.

The skin tone differed slightly; Dalila was a little more tanned, whereas Leela's skin was paler with freckles dotted around her face. Apart from Leela's dyed black hair, everything else was more or less the same.

She drew Dalila with her beautiful green dress; a colour that could rival the palace garden grass as it shimmered with dew in the morning sun. It matched her eyes perfectly.

Her series of dream-drawings were complete, and she glued them into her perfectly presented sketchbook with a satisfied nod of her head. She was glad not to have been assaulted with nightmares the past week; instead experiencing only images of make-believe world conceived from the weirdest corner of her brain.

Even if the images she saw didn't terrorise her, it still helped to draw them.

Idly, Eshe leaned back in her desk chair, swiping her phone up to check her messages. She'd been texting Atem on-and-off all week; but the boy had seemed oddly distant like something was bothering him. She hoped she hadn't done something to ruin their date; she couldn't recall saying anything that could be taken negatively and she felt they parted on a good note, so she really had no idea why he seemed so distracted. The last text she'd received was Atem confirming that he'd stop by her work-cafe with Yugi later in the day.

Nonchalantly, she sent a text to Leela, who had left for work hours ago.

' _Had a dream about u earlier. We getting takeout tonight?_ '

With a glance to the clock, Eshe packed up her art supplies and decided to get dressed for the day; very soon she'd have to head to work.

* * *

An unexplained feeling of lethargy had overcome Eshe halfway through her shift, and she'd sat in a booth on her break, resting her head lazily in her arms; she watched her colleague, Haru, serve two young girls, handing them each a cone of bubblegum flavoured ice cream topped with multicoloured sprinkles, and giggled as their eyes lit up at the sight of the dessert.

Her phone buzzed and she checked the screen; noting that Leela had responded to her text from this morning.

' _Ur having naughty dreams about me? It's your turn to pick up takeout tonight_ ', Leela had signed the text with a smiley face and an abundance of kisses; Eshe rolled her eyes.

' _It wasn't a naughty dream, shut up. You were watching me do my makeup and we were in Egypt_ ', Eshe sent back, accepting her role as the 'collector of takeout' for the evening.

After a few minutes, Leela texted back.

' _Doing your makeup, huh? But u HATE wearing makeup… must've been a traumatic dream for you._ '

Eshe snorted, ' _Very funny. I don't mind a little bit of makeup, I'll have u know._ '

' _Oh yeah, like when u wore it on ur date with Atem because you felt ugly and wanted to impress him?_ '

With a roll of her eyes, Eshe returned her phone to her bag, unwilling to even grace Leela with a response; she glanced up as two familiar faces entered the cafe.

"Hey!" She waved Atem and Yugi over; the younger boy gave her a bright smile, returning the greeting as he moved to sit in the booth with her, whereas Atem followed quietly and looked at her with an enduring stare.

"Is everything okay?" Eshe asked, frowning at the boy's barely contained expression of melancholy.

He seemed to sober up from his apparent misery and smiled at her, though the grin didn't reach his eyes.

"Fine!" He affirmed, a little too enthusiastically, and then his eyes flickered away from her briefly, before he spoke softly, "Are you well?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. A little tired, but fine."

Atem nodded, eyebrows knitting for a reason Eshe could not comprehend, and then the brothers shared a look in which they seemed to communicate without talking. Eshe raised an eyebrow, it was clear that something was going on.

Over Atem's shoulder, Eshe noticed her colleague Haru staring over at them out of the corner of his eye as he seemed to aggressively clean a glass with a cloth. As soon as the silver-haired boy noticed Eshe watching him, he turned quickly, pretending to do something else.

Okay, her co-worker was acting strange.

"Hey, um, Eshe", Yugi spoke up suddenly, pulling her attention back to the occupants of the table, "Would you like to come ice-skating with us and the group tomorrow?"

"Ice-skating?" Eshe repeated with a chuckle, "I haven't been ice-skating in years. I was always terrible at it."

Yugi's expression deflated slightly, until the girl spoke up again.

"But sure, why not?"

The boy's smile returned, and Eshe looked up at Atem, once again finding his eyes boring into her's with an unnerving gaze. His usually striking, deep purple irises were dull, dim and unseeing, as if he was looking right through her.

The expression set her hair on end; it was a stark opposite to the unbridled elation she had witnessed the last time they'd been together.

He looked at her almost as if he'd seen a ghost; a daunting unsureness - but about what? That was the question.

Eshe watched Yugi unmistakably kick Atem's leg under the table; the tanned boy letting out a grunt, flashing his younger brother a hint of a glare, before turning to Eshe with the fakest of smiles.

"I've never been ice-skating. It'll be an interesting experience", Atem spoke, his voice a little too steady for his wavering emotions, an abnormal combination.

"Well then", Eshe spoke carefully, offering a small smile, and her cheesiest pun in an attempt to lighten the mood, "I'm sure we'll have _snow_ problem getting the hang of it."

Atem did not laugh.

* * *

 **Notes: Song referenced at the beginning is 'Vincent (Starry Starry Nights)' by Don McLean- beautiful song, I suggest you give it a listen :) I was quite eager to get this chapter out today so I am eternally sorry if anything seems rushed or if I missed any spelling/grammar errors. Feel free to point them out if I did! As always, I live for your feedback!**


	11. I Can Feel It Coming In The Air Tonight

Transcending Time

Chapter Ten: I Can Feel It Coming In The Air Tonight  


"We're going to _what_?"

Téa was the first of the group to question the remarkably illicit plan they'd just had explained to them over the faltering video chat they held with Ishizu and Marik Ishtar. Everyone else stared dumbly as they crowded around computer screen, not entirely sure they'd heard the siblings accurately. The internet connection was a little jumpy- it's entirely possible they'd just misheard them.

"It is in our best interest to have Eshe come into contact with her lost necklace. It's possible that simply viewing the necklace prompted a spark of recognition in her mind, if the reaction she gave was any indication. If she were to come into physical contact with it, that might be key to retrieving her memories", Ishizu explained patiently, her face neutral in the wake of the group's shocked expressions.

"We need to steal the necklace." Marik reiterated, resting his arms against the back of his sister's chair as he leaned over to speak.

There was a pause as the gang fully soaked in what the other two had relayed.

"Why do we have to _steal_ it? You have connections to the museum, don't you?" Yugi spoke up, blinking his wide eyes with incredulity.

Ishizu sighed, "The Lost Lavalliere is not, and has never been, a part of my museum exhibition. I do not have the rights to remove it from display", she informed them.

"So… we're gonna steal it instead?" Tristan repeated cynically, a wavering paranoia that he still hadn't heard them correctly.

"It's the next logical step!" Marik spoke, eyebrows furrowing impatiently before his gaze landed directly on Atem, "We know it sounds ridiculous, but if we are to have any hope in restoring your wife's memories, then this is what we must do."

Atem frowned, eyes dropping briefly, before returning to the screen with a determined look and an affirmative nod, "Do you have any idea of how we can actually pull this off?"

Joey's eyes flickered over the group in disbelief, "Whoa, whoa, whoa- we're talking about stealing from a museum here! A museum full of CCTV cameras with a high-level security system? You mean to tell me we're _actually_ doing this!?"

Téa shrugged slightly, "I thought it sounded wacky too but if it's what we have to do, then I guess that's what we have to do."

Marik and Ishizu allowed the group a moment to agree on the somewhat ludicrous idea they had planned, before Marik reached across the desk to pull a rolled up piece of paper into view. "Luckily, thanks to Ishizu's connections, what we _do_ have is the floorplan of the museum. This thing lists all the exits and windows, all the camera locations and the position of alarm triggers."

"This doesn't sound like it's going to be a walk in the park", Yugi murmured thoughtfully, scratching his chin.

"If we prepare accordingly, it might be", Ishizu spoke, a ghost of a smile on her face.

"So who's going to be the one actually… _doing_ it?" Téa inquired; she wasn't exactly planning on risking her entire future to retrieve this priceless Egyptian artifact - prison never sounded like a fun place.

"I'll do it! It always looks so fun in the movies!" Joey exclaimed, waving a fist around victoriously.

"You're far too lanky and loud", Téa scolded, flashing him a skeptical look; she ignored his cry of protest as Marik spoke up again, voice slightly raised to come through over Joey's whine.

"Don't worry about that, we wouldn't force any of you to do something like this. Ishizu and I have already decided that I'm going to be the one to infiltrate the museum and retrieve the necklace", Marik spoke, a slight smirk on his lips, "I know how to be sneaky, I'm lithe and active- perfect for the job."

Tristan hummed in agreement and glanced at his friend's faces; they all seemed happy to resign the thieving-task to Marik.

"What about the security? How are you gonna get past the alarm system and the patrolling guards?" the brown-haired boy asked.

Ishizu and Marik shared a look, and then smirked.

"I've contacted Seto Kaiba and his brother, Mokuba, to see if they are willing to lend their hacking skills to the cause", Ishizu stated, eyes settling on Atem, "Given that Kaiba is aware of your mission and the time-restriction on it, I was hoping that perhaps he might grant us this favour."

Atem looked thoughtful and gave a tame nod.

"You think _rich-boy_ is gonna help us steal a priceless artifact!?" Joey cried, utterly aporetic about the situation, "what makes you think he'll be willing to do that?"

"Don't be so quick to assume, Joey", Yugi spoke up, shooting the blond boy a smile, "Kaiba cares more than he lets on, I assure you." Joey still looked doubtful, but shrugged it off.

"Surely once the necklace is discovered to be missing, authorities will be on alert?" Atem inquired, eyebrows knitted with uncertainty.

"We thought about that", Ishizu spoke, "I've already made plans to have a convincing duplicate made, which we will use to replace the real one."

Atem's gaze hardened, "you're sure an expert won't be able to tell the difference?"

"As long as we replace the necklace with no trouble, it won't matter. We'll only need to fool the public and the museum staff", Ishizu smiled, "I managed to locate a file of photographs that show the necklace in detail, and I know a man who can do a good job with it. Trust me, Pharaoh, the duplicate with look authentic enough."

Atem nodded lightly, "Thank you for doing this", he spoke, sounding entirely grateful, "as always, you provide us with a great deal of aid."

The two siblings smiled in response, "It's the least we can do", Marik responded with a wink.

"We'll contact you once we have arrangements to fly to Domino", Ishizu declared.

The group said their good-bye's and the video chat ended; everyone broke away from the computer monitor, apart from Atem, who folded his arms and closed his eyes contemplatively, slumping back in the desk chair.

"So we're meeting Eshe at the ice-rink at three o'clock?" Téa inquired, checking her wrist-watch as she made herself comfortable in the bean-bag chair in the corner of Yugi's bedroom.

"That's right", Tristan confirmed, "which means we have an hour to play video games!"

"Bet you can't beat my score on _Metroid_ , Tristan!" Joey challenged, reaching for the console controller.

"I'll beat it no sweat", the brown-haired boy answered confidently.

Atem rose from the desk chair and stepped over the two boys sprawled across the carpet in optimal game-playing positions; he left the room silently as the others watched him curiously.

Once the group were sure Atem had descended the stairs and was out of earshot, Téa turned to the others with a bleak expression.

"He's still in distress over finding out how Eshe died, isn't he?" Téa spoke quietly.

Joey frowned, "well of course he is- that's not something you just get over…" he said softly.

Dropping his somber gaze to the hands in his lap, Yugi sighed softly, "It was worse when he found out last week. I didn't want to tell him, but I did… and the look in his eyes was terrifying, guys. He just looked at me, unblinking, and when I tried to comfort him, he just… he wanted to be left alone."

Tristan shook his head, "Poor guy…"

"And then when we met with Eshe at the cafe yesterday, he just couldn't stop staring at her with this unrestrained pain- and of course she noticed", Yugi rubbed the back of his neck, "I know it's hard but he'll need to stop that when we see her later. She might get the wrong idea."

"Maybe you should talk to him now", Joey suggested, "you're closest to him… if anyone can help him feel better, it's you."

Yugi glanced between all three of his friends before nodding in concurrence, "Right. I'll go talk to him again."

The King of Games shuffled out of the room and down the stairs to find the other boy leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping from a glass of water. Yugi's grandfather was currently manning the shop, so they were effectively alone.

With his head resting in the palm of his hand, Atem glanced up as Yugi walked around the other side of the counter to sit across from him; the younger offered a sympathetic smile that he hoped didn't come across as piteous.

"I've got a lot on my mind", Atem explained before Yugi could speak as the younger boy opened his mouth.

"That's understandable", Yugi nodded carefully, "what do you think about Ishizu's and Marik's plan?" He avoided skipping straight to the point of what he wanted to discuss in order to encourage Atem to fall into a more comfortable mood for talking.

"If Kaiba agrees to offer his assistance then it could work. If we get our hands on that necklace", Atem paused to sip his water, "then hopefully it'll be a step in the right direction to restore Eshe's memories."

"Let's hope Marik is as sneaky as he claims to be", Yugi spoke with mild amusement.

"Marik informed me that for a short time during Battle City, he shared a body with Bakura. Perhaps some of that thief's talent rubbed off on him."

Yugi cocked an eyebrow at the Pharaoh as he spoke dryly, not entirely certain whether Atem was trying to crack a joke or making a genuine observation; the older boy seemed to notice Yugi's irresolute expression and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry, I'm just…"

"Troubled?" Yugi offered with a knowing look as Atem trailed off, uncertain of how to describe his current emotions.

"Yes."

Yugi sighed softly as Atem glared down at the glass of water in his hand; the Pharaoh was the walking definition of irritable impatience at this very moment, and the King of Games found it hard to articulate what he wanted to say.

Just as Yugi was about to say _something_ , Atem's expression scrunched up with barely contained anguish and his hand clenched around the glass of water, so tight that his knuckles went white.

"I… Every time I looked at her yesterday, I just wondered what could have possibly driven her to take her own life." Atem spoke tightly, a waver in his voice, jaw stiff as he blinked rapidly to fight off an unwelcomed sting in his eyes.

Yugi swallowed firmly at the sight of his closest friend in such a state; he had never seen the Pharaoh cry, he'd always been so stoic with a tight grip on his emotions, and seeing him fight back tears was enough to remind Yugi that Atem was just a kid like him- just a kid who had to bear the responsibility of saving the world several times, a kid who was now struggling with hurt confusion over circumstances of his lover's death.

 _Don't underestimate heartbreak_ , was what Yugi wanted to say, but he knew it wouldn't help matters. Instead, the young King of Games steeled himself and thought for a moment about what could make him feel better in such a situation.

Atem annoyedly wiped away his unshed tears with the back of his hand, blinking away anymore threatening to fall from his glossy eyes, his cheeks tinted red in shame at his momentary lapse in emotional control. He didn't want his friend to see him in such a state, and drank from his water to quell the rising lump in his throat that often accompanied tears.

"I don't blame you, Atem", Yugi declared softly, referring to the way his friend had failed to keep a collected facade, "what we heard about Eshe last week was shocking."

Atem's eyes dropped again to his drink, and he idly swirled the water around in his glass to help distract himself.

"But you were the one who told me we shouldn't make assumptions until we have all the facts."

Atem blinked at the resolute look on Yugi's face, surety sharpening the younger boy's amethyst eyes.

"What are you saying, Yugi?"

"I'm saying, we don't _know_ the exact circumstances of Eshe's death, so we shouldn't resort to being miserable over one possible explanation."

Atem eyed the boy for a moment in silence, eyebrows knitting in thought, before he sighed and nodded, "You're right, Yugi."

Yugi smiled, "Eshe is alive and here _now_ , so the least you can do is not stare at her like she's a ghost." His tone was good-natured, and Atem gave a soft huff of amusement.

"Alright", the Pharaoh spoke, a renewed assurance settling in his voice, "thank you, Yugi. I cannot express how grateful I am to have a friend like you."

The King of Games grinned and gave his friend a wink, waving a knowing finger, "Anytime, Atem. Now, what better way to make a girl fall for you than to show her your fantastic ice-skating skills!"

Atem sent Yugi a skeptical look, " _What_ ice-skating skills?" he asked incredulously.

* * *

"Took you guys long enough!"

Atem squashed down the trickle of nervousness in his chest as the group entered the building that housed the ice-skating rink; he glanced up to find Eshe leaning against the wall, tapping her foot with jesting impatience.

"Sorry Eshe", Téa spoke as she waved in greeting, "the bus was running a little late, we didn't mean to keep you waiting!"

Eshe grinned, stepping towards them, "Nah, it's cool. I've only been here five minutes", she glanced briefly at Atem and he smiled at her, remembering Yugi's advice. She seemed satisfied with his amiable demeanour, no doubt a stark contrast to what it was the day prior.

He hadn't meant to appear so cold when they'd walked into the cafe the day before, and if he'd come across as aloof and distant then he wanted to rectify that immediately.

"Come on! Let's get this show on the road!" Joey exclaimed, sauntering through to the reception desk to rent a pair of skates.

Eshe gave Atem a shy smile and fell into step beside him as they paid for entry into the rink; the large hall that contained the rink was conditioned to be quite cold, as to keep the surface of the ice polished and easy to glide over, and Atem's bare shoulders shivered as they greeted the low temperature of the room.

"You should've worn something warmer", Eshe stated with an amused smirk as she caught the way Atem subtly crossed his arms in an effort to hold the warmth in.

Atem met her smirk with his own defiant look, "I'm sure I'll survive."

Eshe chuckled and then quickly looked him up and down, "Do you have good balance?"

The tanned boy raised an eyebrow, "Well, uh, I've never really been in a situation where balance has been too much of an issue."

The girl snorted, "It's going to be an issue now, my first time ice-skating wasn't pretty. Then again, I haven't exactly improved too much…" she trailed off sheepishly.

"Any advice?" Atem inquired, a touch of apprehension in his voice.

Eshe paused to think, her lips curling upwards, "Yeah, if you feel like you're going to slip and there's nothing to grab onto to steady yourself, just let yourself fall. You'll find that hitting the ice will be less painful than the annihilation of your pride if you end up flailing helplessly in an effort to keep upright."

Atem blinked, a hint of sly beguilement in his eyes, "Are you speaking from experience?"

A hint of redness peppered Eshe's cheeks and she cleared her throat, giving the boy an expression that was a weird cross of timid defiance. "Maybe", she mumbled, and Atem rather enjoyed the way her lips curled into a pout.

"Now look who's keeping us waiting!" Joey called from down the hall, having reached the locker area. He gestured wildly and over-dramatically with his arms in a 'hurry up' motion and Eshe giggled as she and Atem increased the speed of their steps.

As the group shoved their belongings into the moderate-sized locker, Eshe glanced at the flashy and _pointy_ item hanging around Atem's neck.

"You're gonna wanna put that in the locker, Atem", Eshe spoke, pointing to the Millennium Puzzle. Atem frowned, his hands reaching for it protectively as if someone had threatened to steal it from him.

"I'd rather not", Atem murmured, and Eshe raised an eyebrow. Before she could respond, Téa spoke up.

"She's right, Atem, if you were to slip and land on the Puzzle, it _would_ hurt. Besides, a staff-member would probably ask you to remove it anyway, so you might as well do it now." Téa, the ever-wise young lady with the motherly instincts, ushered Atem to the locker and encouraged him to remove the golden pendant.

Atem's grip on his Puzzle did not lessen; clearly he did not want to part with the item. He sent an uncertain glance in Yugi's direction, and Yugi seemed to understand Atem's plight.

"It'll be safe in the locker, Atem, don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, Atem", Yugi gave him a reassuring smile, "I'll keep the key safe."

The group watched him expectantly and Atem sighed, hesitantly removing the necklace and placing it in the compartment with all the reluctance in the world.

"He really likes that necklace, huh?" Eshe mumbled out of earshot of the boy in question, and Tristan chuckled in response.

"It's very important to him", he told her by way of explanation, and Eshe nodded in understanding.

"Come _on_ you guys! Getting older over here!" Joey called from the benches; he'd just finished securing his skates and was eager to hop onto the ice, if the way he was switching his weight from foot to foot was anything to go by.

"You should really learn to have some patience, Joey", Téa scolded lightly as she too reached the bench and began to slip her ice-skates on.

Atem followed the lead of the others and fastened his ice-skates; he angled his foot to get a good look at the sharp blade protruding from the bottom of the footwear and quirked an eyebrow.

"Hey buddy", Tristan spoke up as he caught sight of the way Atem stared at the skates, "try not to skate over someone's fingers if they happen to fall down in front of you!" The brown-haired boy had meant it as a joke but Atem looked faintly perturbed at the thought.

"Don't say that, Tristan", Eshe eyed the taller boy, who poked his tongue out comically, and then turned her attention to Atem, "that won't happen", she told him matter-of-factly.

Atem shrugged slightly, "If you say so."

As the only person in the group who had not participated in the sport of ice-skating before, Atem was content for a moment to watch the others walk away from the benches and to the archway into the ice-rink; they made it seem easy enough to manoeuvre in the mono-bladed boots, but as he sat on the bench, he could tell he would have to be cautious with his steps even on the non-icy flooring if he wanted his pride to remain intact.

"Atem?" Eshe called out curiously when she look over her shoulder and realised the boy wasn't following behind them.

"Uh, coming", he replied, and tried to remain passive as he guardedly rose to his full height.

Atem's knees wobbled for a moment and he took a tentative step forward. Realising he hadn't plummeted to the ground, he relaxed a little and took another step; he found that it was easy to balance if he walked with his legs shoulder-width apart. The tanned boy let out a subtle sigh of relief as he caught up with Eshe without much trouble and the girl bit her lip to hide a smile.

"Not used to being so tall?" Eshe quipped, and Atem gave her a look of dismay.

"You're _shorter_ than me!"

Eshe burst into a fit of giggles, and Atem found there was no way he could actually take offense to her words when her laugh was so bubbly and bright.

"Sorry", she snickered, and then pointed her thumb at the ice-rink, "Are you ready?"

Atem nodded and turned to the others who were stepping onto the ice one-by-one. Téa was first, and strode onto the slippery terrain with utmost confidence, immediately pushing off with a kick and casually falling into a smooth glide; of course, the dancer with perfect balance- and she had told him that she'd been skating many times before.

Yugi had told him that they used to ice-skate together and that he himself was not entirely unskilled in the activity, as made clear by the way the King of Games slid across the ice with an air of experience. He wasn't as graceful as Téa, and he took much shorter glides, but it was obvious Yugi had a lot of control over his balance.

Joey and Tristan were equally shaky on their feet, but through sheer determination they both managed to stay upright as they instantaneously began trying to show off. They seemed to go the opposite way of Eshe's earlier advice and strived to stay on their feet no matter what, even if it meant flailing like a headless chicken.

Eshe gave Atem a knowing smirk and then stepped onto the ice, gripping the ledge of the rink to remain steady, and used it to lever herself away from the entrance, not once taking her hands off of it.

The tanned boy apprehensively followed.

 _Ice-skating, as it happens, is rather difficult to those with zero experience._ Atem realised this as he took his first step onto the smooth ice with one cautious movement, and promptly found himself unceremoniously splayed out on the cold terrain.

Ignoring the giggles of his friends, Atem quickly sat up, an undignified pout on his face.

"Hey, that happened my first time too", Eshe spoke assuredly, extending a helping hand to assist Atem back to his feet.

The boy took her hand gratefully and shakily managed to find his footing again, his hand tensing around her's every time his feet slipped suddenly. Eshe didn't release his hand until he had a firm grip on the ledge around the rink.

"Now you know what to expect", Eshe told him with a grin.

"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Téa inquired, sliding up towards the two.

Atem's cheeks were slightly red from the embarrassment of his fall but he shook his head, "No, I'm fine."

Yugi appeared from behind Téa and smiled reassuringly, "Take a few laps around the edge of the rink and you'll probably get the hang of it enough to skate around the centre."

Atem nodded, clearing his throat, "I'll give it a try."

* * *

"Joey and Tristan appear to be having fun", Atem observed as he stopped briefly in his short, jittery 'glides' around the edge of the rink to eye the two boys who wore wide grins on their faces as they tried to outdo each other.

"That's because they're perfectly content to look ridiculous when the determination of a challenge overpowers their inhibitions", Eshe answered with a laugh, watching as Tristan almost lost control of his long legs- but was able to save himself at the last second from crashing to the ground.

"True", Atem murmured, and in a moment of overestimation of his growing abilities, he attempted a slightly longer glide, before immediately losing his wits and clutching onto the wall like his life depended on it.

Eshe erupted with giggles again, and Atem sighed, though a small smile curled at his lips, the falls were becoming less humiliating the more the girl found joy in it.

"Téa and Yugi are just showing off", Eshe spoke, motioning with her head to the duo who were now beginning to exceed in skating backwards.

"That looks impossible", Atem hummed, clearly impressed.

"Well, practise makes perfect!" Eshe exclaimed, before releasing her grip from the wall, making some brazenly shaky drifts away from the edge. Her stance was imperfect and she squealed as her feet began to move unparallel and outwards.

"What are you _doing?_ " Atem's voice was a mix of amusement and incredulousness.

"I was trying to be cocky but it backfired!" Eshe admitted, tumbling with an ' _oof!_ ' and landing on her butt.

Atem reached out, one hand still clenched on the wall, in an effort to help Eshe back to her feet, but as the girl brought herself upright, she yanked the boy's hand towards her and he reflexively released the ledge to avoid letting his legs stray too far apart. His arm swung round and gripped her opposite shoulder, and the two clung to each other in an attempt to stay balanced.

" _What are you doing!?_ " Atem repeated, his voice an octave higher, and his expression startled, while Eshe began giggling hysterically.

"Look, we'll never get better if we don't take risks, let's come away from the wall and work at this together", the girl replied.

Atem glanced back to the wall, which was now out of reach by a couple of feet, and regarded Eshe with a skeptical look, "Are you sure about this?"

"It'll be fun!"

"I'm starting to think our ideas of fun differ hugely."

Eshe ignored his quip, "Ready?"

" _No_."

The girl kicked off into a flawed glide, her hand tight on Atem's wrist, and the boy struggled to keep his composure as his whole body tensed and buckled with effort not to hit the ice at high speed. It was quickly apparent that he was not going to recover his balance, and so at the recollection of Eshe's earlier advice, he let his legs slip out from below him.

It just so happens that the direction his legs decided to take was directly in the path of Eshe's own, a resulting _CLACK_ sounded as their skates clashed together and they both toppled over onto each other with a yelp.

Atem grunted as he landed rather heavily on his arm, and then the air was knocked out of him as Eshe's weight came down upon his chest. After a few laborious, raspy breaths, Atem looked up into Eshe's bright red face, which was mere inches from his own, and felt his mouth hang open and his cheeks heat up.

"Oh, _God_ , I am _so_ sorry!" Eshe squeaked, pushing herself off of him as quickly as she could, "I didn't think- uh, I didn't mean to- Are you okay!?" Clearly concerned by the heavy breaths Atem was still taking, Eshe looked up and called Téa over for some help- she was the quickest and most experienced skater out of all of them, after all.

"Whoa, what happened?" Téa asked as she swooped in with ease, Yugi close behind her.

"It was my fault", Eshe admitted with a frown, worriedly looking Atem over for any injuries.

"I'm fine", Atem managed through a hoarse breath, shyly pushing himself up and avoiding Eshe's scrutinising gaze, "really, I'm- ah", he hissed and held his arm awkwardly in his lap.

"You're hurt", Téa observed, reaching for his uninjured arm to help him up, "let's go to the benches."

"Really, I'm fine, Téa-"

"Come on, to the benches!"

There was no use in arguing with Téa when she spoke in that demanding ' _I know better_ ' tone- and she most certainly did know better, given Atem's further wincing as he tried to prove he was unhurt.

Yugi and Téa, with a joint effort, safely brought Atem to the exit of the rink- with Eshe slipping around in their wake in an attempt to follow quickly, and helped him sit on one of the benches.

Eshe watched, face still burning, as Téa gently turned over Atem's arm to get a good look at it, and at once she felt herself a bit of a fool for dragging the boy away from the wall in the first place when he was obviously opposed to it. She sat silently across from them as Téa concluded that it probably wasn't too bad an injury if he was able to move it with a minimum amount of pain.

"It's probably just bruised, but I can go see if they have any first-aiders here to check it out", Téa suggested, and Atem shook his head, smiling softly.

"No, it's fine, it doesn't hurt that much."

Téa raised an eyebrow, eyeing Atem closely with a hand laid on his shoulder, "Are you _sure_?" Trying to catch whether or not he was fibbing; Eshe could tell he wasn't, and felt relieved that she hadn't ended up hurting Atem too bad.

"I'm sure", Atem answered, "but I don't think I want to go back on the ice again."

"Totally understandable", Yugi chimed in with a chuckle.

Téa spent another five minutes confirming that Atem was indeed perfectly fine; she fussed over him and watched him closely in a very attentive way that reminded her of how Téa had helped her out back in the museum. It was clear that Téa cared for Atem deeply, evident from the glances they shared and the casual way she squeezed his shoulder- both signs of a close friendship.

With a sigh, Eshe dropped her gaze to the floor, feeling inadequate as a friend given the little stunt she pulled; it was easy now upon reflection to realise that Atem's body language had been absolutely begging her not to draw him away from the ledge.

"You okay buddy? Still got all your fingers?" Tristan teasingly called from the ledge of the rink, leaning heavily on it as he and Joey stopped to make sure their friend was okay.

" _Ha ha ha_ ", Atem grumbled, though the smile on his face betrayed his tone.

"You coming back on the ice, Eshe?" Yugi asked as he and Téa moved to return to the rink.

"I'll stay with Atem", Eshe spoke, an insincere smile on her face, the feeling of guilt poking at her brain.

As she sat by the boy, she bit her lip at the sight of the faint purple bruise appearing on his forearm, "I'm sorry", she murmured, clasping her hands together in her lap.

"Huh?" Atem looked at her in surprise, before following her pointed gaze to his arm, "Oh, don't worry. It was just an accident."

Eshe felt the anxious pressure on her chest only worsen at the fact the boy wasn't blaming her for what was obviously her fault, "But I- no, I mean, yes, it was an accident, but- if I hadn't pulled you from the edge the you wouldn't have fallen…"

Atem merely smiled at her, shaking his head slightly, "then I forgive you."

Eshe swallowed her confusion at the boy's clear, kind and forgiving nature; completely used to being made to apologise and make it up to her aunt and uncle several times whenever she did the slightest thing wrong in the past.

"Oh", she mumbled unintelligibly, and looked away to hide the pinkness of her cheeks. His lenient smile made her heart race and she couldn't stop fidgeting with her fingers.

"Um, are you okay?" Atem asked hesitantly, cocking his head and leaning forward to regain her attention.

"Huh- oh, yeah, I'm fine- I mean, I'm not hurt or anything- you cushioned my fall", she squeaked a hurried response and felt her face heat up anew as the words left her mouth.

"Glad I could be of assistance", Atem laughed, and the rich, baritone chortle did absolutely nothing to help her regain her composure.

It was as if, all of a sudden, every little mannerism of Atem's was endearing or inadvertently charming. She felt like she was so used to him already that by the end of the skating-session, she successfully predicted the habitual way he'd reach to clutch the chain of his Millennium Puzzle as he set it back around his neck.

Eshe exhaled slowly as she stood by the locker, watching the glint of Atem's pendant under the ceiling lights, and something sparked in her mind- another troubling waking-vision, perhaps? Except it barely lasted half a second- in fact, she only managed to catch sight of a swirl of colours.

 _A flash of gold, white and_ _ **red**_. _The feeling of a chill crawling up her spine and a curiously familiar dread settling in her heart._

As she blinked the images away, her eyes stung for a moment before she fortunately pushed the irrational feelings down; her hand flew to her mouth reflexively as nausea took it's place. Only Atem seemed to notice her odd behaviour, his lips parting with concern and his eyes flickering over her face attentively; he didn't say anything, he just placed a comforting hand on her shoulder in very much the same way he had in the museum- except this time, she wholly welcomed the touch.

* * *

The Ishtar's arrived at the Game Shop on Thursday, and Atem was thankful for their haste in making arrangements for the upcoming ' _heist_ ' as Joey had called it with a twinkle in his eye.

"I still can't believe that Kaiba actually agreed to this!" the blond boy exclaimed, amused that the stoic CEO would actually offer his aid for a successful theft to benefit the ' _group of losers_ ', as the rich-boy affectionately referred to them as.

"Yes, well, he did agree on one condition", Ishizu spoke flatly as she placed a very security-abundant suitcase upon the surface of the dining table.

Joey huffed, "Of course there had to be a catch…"

"What's the condition?" Yugi asked curiously, placing a tray of drinks on the table.

Marik smirked, taking a glass of orange juice, "Have a guess", he spoke with a touch of amusement.

"He wants to duel me", Atem deadpanned, and Marik laughed.

"Bingo."

Tristan snorted, "Well if all it takes in return for Kaiba's hacking skills is for Atem to kick his ass then that's not gonna be a problem!"

Atem nodded, "If it's a duel he wants then it's a duel he'll get."

Ishizu gave a small smile and reached for the clasps on the suitcase; it pinged open and she lifted out a file of papers and a smooth, velvet box.

"This contains the duplicate of the Lost Lavalliere", she held the box out to Atem, "if you would inspect it, Pharaoh."

Atem took the box and opened it carefully, a smirk pulling at his lips as he viewed the very convincing fake necklace. He gave an approving hum, and gently pried it away from the soft padding to examine it closely; the group watched conscientiously as he turned it over in his hands, brushing his thumb over the gold, and the engraving of the crow within the lapis.

"It's exactly like the real one", he spoke, unequivocally impressed with the quality and craftsmanship. Even the specks of darker lapis followed the same pattern as the one he'd had tailor-made.

Ishizu smiled at his reaction, "Exceeds expectations?"

"I think so", Atem spoke, and turned it over again in his grasp to examine the front of it once more- his face fell. "No…"

"No?" Ishizu frowned, "Is something wrong with it?"

"It missing the inscription of Eshe's name in hieroglyphics", Atem explained, holding the faux-necklace out to the Egyptian woman.

Ishizu face was the picture of confusion, and she glanced down at it for a moment, "Where should the placement of the name be?"

Atem pointed to the blank surface of the gold above the lapis engraving, "Right here."

Ishizu's eyes narrowed in further puzzlement, "The original has no name here."

The whole group turned to Atem in surprise, and the Pharaoh looked moderately dubious at the Egyptian siblings sat before him. "Ishizu, I had the necklace made especially. I was the one who designed it, I asked for her name to be engraved on the top and I remember, as clear as day, seeing her wearing it. Her name was there, it _was_."

The group turned back to Ishizu, and she wordlessly reached into the file full of various papers and images; she pulled out a series of photograph prints, some black and white, some in full-colour, and handed them to Atem.

"These are the reference photos I gave to the man who crafted the fake necklace. Some of these photos were taken around the time the amulet was unearthed, and some were taken recently. There is no name."

Atem flipped through the pictures with incredulity; Ishizu was right, none of these images showed her name.

"But… I don't understand-" he blinked, his eyes flickering as he recalled the necklace on display in the museum. The glare of the light reflecting on the glass casing of the necklace may have obstructed his vision, and given that he hadn't exactly been searching the piece of jewellery for discrepancies may explain why he had not noticed the missing name until now.

"Are you… sure the one in the museum is… real?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Atem thought his own question ridiculous. Of course it was real- he'd felt the thrum of magical energy that he'd placed there all those thousands of years ago, "Why would her name be missing?" his eyes hardened on the images on the paper.

Ishizu shared a baffled look with her brother, who shrugged cluelessly.

"You said it looked perfect- no sign of wear, so it couldn't have happened naturally", Yugi spoke up, leaning over Atem's shoulder to eye the images; he pointed to the blank spot on the necklace, "and it doesn't look like it's been sanded down manually."

"So what gives?" Joey asked, a mystified frown on his face.

Atem's jaw clenched, "It's been tampered with. I don't know why or how, but someone has purposely removed Eshe's name from her necklace."

* * *

 **Notes: Please review if you read! It lets me know that people are enjoying and following this story! It doesn't even have to be a long review, even a keyboard smash would suffice! :P Don't you just love how much of a mum-friend Téa is?**


	12. Riddles In The Pages

Transcending Time

Chapter Eleven: Riddles In The Pages Leaving Too Much To Guess

 _Eshe hugged her knees, pulling her legs in closer as she tried to remain level-headed in the tight space she had concealed herself in. Tracing her finger against the cracks on the inside of the large clay pot she had climbed into, she tried to distract herself from the feeling of being enclosed and trapped. She threw her head back, looking out the neck of the receptacle which was only a little bit wider than her small body and tried to breathe in the fresh air just beyond her hiding space._

 _Her lungs strained to expand as she inhaled as deeply as she could, the pressure of her legs forced against her chest giving her little to no leeway when it came to such a basic bodily function._

 _The vessel had looked so much bigger when she'd been running through the palace gardens searching for a good place to hide, but from the inside it felt as though it was becoming smaller and smaller by the minute. Each breath Eshe took brought the walls of the pot in closer and closer until holding her head up to the blue sky above made her dizzy._

 _Her head lulled forwards against her knees as she began to pant, the hot and dusty air within the pot invoked a raspiness to her shuddery inhales, and she felt herself beginning to sweat, adding to the discomfort of her secluded hiding spot._

 _She couldn't tell how long she had been hiding, but she was sure Atem usually would have found her by now, he'd tag her smugly and claim her to be too predictable in the spots she would hide herself- but not now._

 _Had she finally outsmarted the boy?_

 _So much for predictable, the young girl thought wryly, a spark of arrogance settling on her increasingly panicked mind._

 _Eshe couldn't tell if it was safe to escape the pot just yet; Atem could be nearby, and would claim victory as soon as she poked her head out of her spot, unless she waited until her allotted time was up._

 _The only problem is, Eshe had no idea if she'd been hiding for one minute or ten. Time seemed to stretch as her trepidation grew and there was no way to judge if Atem had given up his search for her._

 _The young princess wheezed, pressing her arms to the walls of the vessel, subconsciously pushing against them in an effort to give herself more space to breathe, but to no avail._

 _Perhaps she had been hiding much longer than she needed, and Atem was wandering around the gardens, scratching his head in confusion as he struggled to locate her - then she'd be able to hold this victory over his head and take her rightful place as the 'hide and seek' champion._

 _She was hyperventilating._

 _Tears trailed from her eyes down her hot face as she gasped for breath, desperately trying to kick the inside of the pot in a hysterical attempt to break free. She felt trapped, muscles stiff, unable to push herself up and out of the vessel._

" _Found you!"_

 _Eshe raised her head as a shadow blocked the light from creeping into the pot; her watery eyes settled on Atem's conceited smirk._

 _His face fell and his eyes grew wide with concern as he realised she was crying, and he reached into Eshe's hiding place to grab onto her arms to help pull her out._

 _Eshe's legs found their strength again and with the young prince's help, she managed to push herself out of the rim of the pot, and tumble forwards against the boy as she took deep labouring breaths._

 _The air felt cold against her skin as she left the stuffy confines of the clay pot, and she pressed her face against the soft grass. Atem knelt beside her, curling his hands around her arms._

" _Eshe, what's wro-"_

 _He was unable to get his question out before the princess burst into a tearful coughing fit, covering her face with her dusty hands as she began to loudly sob._

* * *

Eshe woke with a startled inhale, eyes springing open as she rolled over, throwing her cover aside, and pushed herself up into a kneeling position atop her bedsheets. She felt like she was burning up, her body soaked with a disgusting, rapidly cooling sweat.

Not wasting any time, she stumbled out of bed and across the room, hastily throwing open her bedroom window to inhale the cool night air, high above the city; the high altitude of her building gifted her with comforting gusts.

Small, tight spaces. Not fun. Never fun.

Crushing, drowning, asphyxiating.

Relief pumped through her as her body began to cool down; she slumped against her window sill and let the gentle breeze ruffle her hair, pondering her latest dream.

Unbelievable. Eshe almost suffocated in a clay pot and _still_ wasn't crowned the 'hide and seek' champion.

She let out a soft wheeze of weak amusement; dream-Atem had practically saved her life.

Eshe wondered briefly, if dream-Atem had not had the intuition to check the clay pot, whether or not she would have suffocated in her sleep. Because it sure as hell seemed like it wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities at that moment. Leela could have found her, cold, stiff and trapped amongst her bedsheets with a look of terror instilled on her face.

"What an embarrassing way to die", she mumbled, chuckling softly.

She hoped her real death would be a more dramatic, climactic event. _Nobody wants a boring death._

" _Here lies Eshe, strangled by cotton blankets._ That's what my tombstone would read; the people would point and laugh over my grave. _She deserved to die if that's how she went_ , that's what they'd say..."

Realising she was talking to no-one but the skyline, Eshe closed the window with a sigh and retired back to her bed, hoping her nightmares weren't sending her into a delirious episode.

* * *

The diner was filled with mid-afternoon chatter as Eshe sat alone in a small booth, leaning her head into the palm of her hand as she lazily counted the circular patterns on the empty seat in front of her. The building had a relaxing feel to it, the walls and seats a pleasing colour palette of mint green, pinkish-red and pristine white. The walls were decorated with small canvases showing multiple styles of art from many different artists; it was truly a wonderful place to sit and clear her mind.

The waft of freshly-cooked foods drifting in from the kitchen made her mouth water, wishing she'd ordered a greasy steak instead of a refreshing salad. Her stomach rumbled as a waiter brought two hugely-portioned plates of burgers and chips to the two teenage boys in the booth across from her; she licked her lips and sighed.

Eshe had never really worried about her eating habits; she was gifted with a naturally fast metabolism, and any junk food she consumed mostly just dissolved into energy rather than adding extra fat to her body.

She couldn't run a two-hundred-metre sprint without collapsing to the ground to desperately take in air, sure, but she wasn't exactly interested in pursuing an athletic career, so it didn't really bother her that she wasn't in tip-top running condition.

It had only occurred to her within the last twenty-four hours that perhaps her nightmares were a result of the unhealthy cuisine she shoved down her throat, and thus she decided to try the route of fruit and vegetables to see if it altered the way she slept.

"Here's your salad, Little Miss Healthy", Leela quipped, appearing suddenly at Eshe's side as she placed the plate of greens down in front of her, watching her expectantly as she slipped into the other side of the booth.

"Thanks, Leela", Eshe spoke with a weak smile, grabbing her fork to stab at the lettuce and begin to force it down before she changed her mind and ordered something fattening. She had decided to visit her best friend in her working environment, a chilled-out diner down one of the main streets of Domino; Eshe had to admit, Leela looked pretty in her red waitress's uniform with the little white apron.

"So, any reason you ordered this monstrosity?" Leela asked, leaning forwards inquisitively as Eshe took reluctant bites of the dish before her.

"I've been feeling kinda rough lately. I thought my eating habits might be to blame", Eshe explained, grabbing her glass of water to take a sip.

"Rough how?" Leela inquired, sparing a glance to the kitchens to make sure her manager wasn't spying her slacking off.

"I dunno… since I went to the museum the other week, I've been having- like… dizzy spells?"

Leela's gaze flickered to Eshe's eyes, concern emanating off her suddenly, "Dizzy spells? Have you booked a doctor's appointment? What happened exactly?"

Eshe shook her head with an amused huff, "No, I'm sure it's nothing serious, and I just got really ill the other week just before we left the museum. It's fine, it only lasted about half an hour, and the group took care of me", she took another regretful bite of her tasteless salad and sighed.

"There's also… the nightmares I'm having have been getting pretty bad…"

Leela frowned, "Seriously, see a doctor. Please?" her friend looked almost pleading, probably recalling the stories Eshe had told her about her young childhood when the nightmares became too much. "If you start avoiding sleep, it might become worse."

"I'm not going to- I'm not gonna do that again. I'm just-" Eshe eyed her salad, "Let me try healthy eating first, and if that doesn't help, I'll see a stupid doctor, okay?"

Leela's lips curled into a small smile and she nodded, seemingly satisfied with Eshe's answer, "Good." She brushed a strand of black hair back behind her ear and crossed her arms, looking back down at the salad Eshe was lazily nibbling on.

"I mean, I don't see how torturing yourself by eating food you don't like is going to help but… you do you, hun."

Eshe rolled her eyes, snorting slightly at her friend's antics, "I _will_ do me. Now let me eat my gross salad in peace."

She watched Leela poke her tongue out cheekily and begin to shimmy out of the booth, and then an impromptu white flash appeared the corner of Eshe's vision; she reached up to cover her eye, initially thinking a light in the diner had blown, but it became obvious that was not the case from the way nobody else reacted.

"Eshe? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Leela leaned forward, placing a hand on her shoulder apprehensively following Eshe's sudden odd behaviour.

Eshe blinked rapidly, and her vision morphed into something else.

 _The light reflecting off the sword in Atsu's hands glinted persistently in Eshe's eyes and her irritation grew as he waved it around in imitation of a clumsy swordsman._

" _What do you think? Should I take up sword fighting instead of magic?" the boy inquired playfully, brushing a stray, sandy-brown lock back behind his ear, his hair having become mussed as he swung his blade around without grace or talent._

" _I think you should put that sword down before you take someone's eye out", Eshe grumbled, shielding her gaze from the flashes of light._

" _Stop being childish, brother", Dalila snapped, rising from her spot beside Eshe at the edge of the pond to snatch the sword out of the young teen's hands._

" _Alright, touchy", Atsu quipped, "probably for the best though, I'm much better in my magic skills than sword-fighting. Who wants to be a swordsman, anyway? Magic is much more graceful- with sword-fights you just end up getting sweaty and bloody."_

 _The boy crossed his arms smugly and Eshe regarded him with a skeptical eye, "sword-fighting is just as graceful as magic-wielding."_

 _Atsu snorted, "You're just saying that because you like to spy on the prince while he's training."_

 _Eshe went red with embarrassment, and squeaked out, "_ _ **What**_ _!? No I don't!"_

 _The boy shrugged, smirking knowingly, "Sure you don't."_

" _Ugh! You don't know what you're talking about!" Eshe groaned abashedly, crossing her arms defiantly and glaring the slightly older boy down, "Dalila, tell your brother to behave!"_

" _He's kinda right though, you do spy on the prince while he's training…"_

 _Eshe turned to her closest friend, a scandalised expression on her face, "So much for backing me up!"_

 _Dalila began to laugh at Eshe's whimsical look of betrayal, "You're so dramatic, Eshe."_

 _Eshe rolled her eyes, and caught a blur of white passing behind the apertures surrounding the courtyard; she watched the young, black-haired magician-in-training, Rura, walk calmly to the entrance of the gardens and make his way towards them._

 _Atsu and Dalila followed her gaze, their expressions falling into an uneasy leer; Eshe frowned, wondering why the boy was approaching._

 _Rura carried a sense of wariness with him wherever he went; he always walked so stiffly, his arms swaying imperceptibly with every step he took, and he looked so statuesque in his movements. His graceful gait offered him the ability to appear and disappear without drawing attention._

 _He came to a stop in front of the group, his hands clasping behind his back in a relaxed gesture, his eyes scanned over them, and Eshe attempted not to shiver under his passive scrutiny; the boy's grey eyes were mysterious and frosty. He shook his head slightly to dislodge a long lock of black hair that had fallen into his face._

" _Atsu", the boy spoke, and his deep voice seemed to reverberate, "Mahad wishes to speak with you."_

 _Without waiting for a response, Rura turned on his heel and left._

" _Ra, he's so strange", Dalila murmured, and turned to her brother who was scowling at the archway Rura and just left through._

 _Eshe frowned; until Dalila and Atsu had brought it up, she had never been bothered by Rura's idiosyncratic behaviour, of which she had observed the few times she had passed him in the hallways of the palace. Eshe hadn't previously spared the boy such close attention, but after her friend's started talking about him - that's when she had begun to notice his chilling stare._

" _He treats me so condescendingly, not as an equal. It's so annoying", Atsu hissed, his lips pulling into a pout; the boy raised to his feet, throwing a quick wave over his shoulder at the two girls, "see you later, I better go see what Mahad wants."_

 _Eshe watched him leave, still dealing with the unsettling tingling buzzing at the top of her spine brought on by Rura's presence._

"You're scaring me, Eshe."

Eshe jerked back suddenly at the immediate presence of a hand waving in front of her face, with a glance up into Leela's fearful expression, the tanned girl sighed. It had happened again, the throbbing pain in her head and Leela's skittish demeanour, as well as the tight hand gripping her arm were all clear signs of what had just occurred.

She'd blacked out again and had another weird day-dream vision.

"I'm just tired", Eshe murmured unconvincingly. In all honesty, she didn't want to make a big deal of her issues; there were too many people around and she didn't want to draw attention to herself by worrying Leela. The eyes of the two boys on the table across were already on her, and Eshe bowed her head, trying to ignore their nosy stares.

"I'm going to walk you home, Eshe", Leela spoke with a tone that implied she didn't want to be argued with, but Eshe shook her head regardless, irritating her headache further.

"I'm meeting Téa in town, Leela, I'm not going home. I'll just take some painkillers and I'll be fine."

Leela was not happy, that much was obvious, "Then at least text her and tell her to meet you here. I don't want you to be alone."

Her concern was apparent, and Eshe knew that Leela just wanted her to be safe; with a look down at her half-eaten salad, she hummed in acknowledgement, and nodded her head, reaching for her back to text Téa her location.

* * *

Téa had been happy to change their meeting point after Eshe had explained that she was feeling under the weather again; the brown-haired girl arrived shortly, and joined Eshe in the booth, displaying worry and a desire to assist in any way that she could.

"I can accompany you home, if you'd like? We can go shopping another day when you're feeling better", Téa offered, and Eshe shook her head, forcing a smile as she rubbed her temple.

"No, I'll be okay- I can feel my headache subsiding anyway."

She didn't want to let these issues ruin her's and Téa's day, and she sure as hell didn't want to crawl into bed and sleep it off because that would be admitting defeat to the troublesome pain. Her closed eyes twitched as she considered her vision; there was no denying the strangeness of the fact that her few waking-visions were connected to her dreams and nightmares, as they seemed to all reside in the same weird world she'd subconsciously created in her head.

Once again, she found herself perplexed by the realness of the mental conception she had viewed. The heat of the sun on her skin, the feel of the grass beneath her feet and the various smells of the garden orchards mixed together painted the picture of a very genuine experience. Then there were the people she dreamed about.

Atem hadn't been in this vision, but he and Leela seemed to be two continual subjects of her… _hallucinations?_ She didn't quite know what to call them. The other people in her dreams were unknown to her and yet, she felt she should know them; while she lived these visions, she felt connected to them, as if they were friends and acquaintances she'd known most of her life, but the moment she became conscious again, she had no explanation for why she felt that way.

She'd always thought dreams were in the control of the person dreaming them, but Eshe felt as though the images she saw in her sleep were already laid out, like she was watching a movie. There was not an ounce of lucidity to accompany her restless sleeps, and it made her almost jealous to think that others could manipulate and steer the direction their nighttime fantasies.

Eshe snuck a glance back to Leela who was taking the order of another group of customers; another thing that struck her was simply: _why_ did she refer to her close friend as _Dalila_ whenever these visions took her. Surely there was no reason for that? Did her unconscious mind believe her to be speaking to a different person?

Téa watched her closely with a soft, but scrutinising gaze. "Is there something besides the pain that's bothering you?"

Her voice brought Eshe's attention away from Leela, and the tanned girl couldn't help but smile; she admired Téa's ability to recognise that the way Eshe's face was scrunched up was not a result of her pain, but more implicative of confusion.

With a sigh, Eshe took a sip of her glass of water - Leela had so graciously topped it up before Téa had arrived, ordering her to stay hydrated - and leaned more closely into Téa's space.

"Do you dream a lot?" Eshe asked, and Téa blinked at the arbitrary question.

"Hmm", Téa hummed, scratching her chin, "I guess I do."

"What kind of dreams do you have?"

Téa raised an eyebrow, unsure of how this line of questioning pertained to the current situation, but she was happy to answer regardless, "I dream of being a famous dancer a lot of the time", she smiled at the recollection of such dreams, "and sometimes I dream of watching my friends play Duel Monsters", her expression turned mildly sheepish, "I mean, that probably makes sense given the fact that it's such a leading part of our lives."

Eshe smiled and nodded, "Yes, I suppose that does make sense."

Téa frowned, "Why do you ask? Is this about the nightmares you told us about?"

"Mmhmm", Eshe hummed in confirmation, she was pleasantly surprised by Téa's acute intuition, and the fact that she had recalled the anecdotes of Eshe's troubled childhood.

"You know, you can tell me anything", Téa stated, her tone so sincere and her eyes so fervid that it almost made Eshe want to cry. The thought that someone she'd only known for a few weeks could be so keen to listen to and help her through her issues was new to her, and it made her emotional.

Eshe opened her mouth to respond, and then huffed with amusement, rubbing her eyes, "You're a good friend, Téa."

The resulting beam that lit up Téa's face was enough to brighten anyone's day, "friendship is my speciality!"

* * *

By the time Eshe's headache had faded, she found herself in dire need of some fresh air, and together, the girls had left the diner to journey around the block towards the mall, by way of the scenic route. The streets decorated with pink-blossom trees were a welcomed interruption of Eshe's reeling speculation over her strange visions, and she paused to breathe in the fresh Summer air that warmed her body.

Téa walked beside her at the same pace, ready to assist Eshe if she suddenly felt light-headed again; a consideration for which the tanned girl was eternally grateful for.

The brown-haired girl had offered to lend an ear if Eshe needed to talk about her nightmares, but an unwillingness to recollect the subjects of her dreams stayed her tongue. She didn't exactly want to reveal to Téa that she'd been frequently dreaming about Atem, just in case Téa was to mention it to the boy- Eshe would never live it down.

Eshe figured she could distract herself from her thoughts with shopping; it was always therapeutic for her to go from store to store and just buy clothes, art supplies, or pointless objects that she totally didn't need but felt an irrational desire to own.

It was upon arriving at the pretty dresses in the clothing store that Téa sent Eshe a sly grin; the girl fingered the fabric of a baby blue summer dress adorned with tassels and beads and suggestively spoke, "Say, Eshe, why don't you get a new dress for your next date with Atem?"

Eshe fought the blush that rose to her cheeks and disguised her flustered look with an exasperated expression, "That's _if_ there's a next date."

"Eh!?" the noise Téa let out was one of shock, her eyes wide and questioning, "what do you mean? You don't want to go on another date with him?"

Eshe rose a cynical eyebrow, "No- no, of _course_ I want to go on another date with him. I don't know if he wants to go on another date with _me_."

The resulting laugh that Téa gave was so sudden and loud that it almost caused Eshe to jump, and immediately the giggly girl clamped her hands over her mouth, abashed to have chortled so loudly.

"What in the world makes you think Atem doesn't want to date you!?" Téa squeaked in amused disbelief, and Eshe pouted heavily, narrowing her eyes.

"How about the fact that I've dropped about a million hints in my texts but he just doesn't seem to understand that I want him to ask me on another date?" the tanned girl grumbled, and Téa snorted slightly.

"Atem is a little slow on the uptake when it comes to romance. He's definitely interested, I can tell you that", Téa assured her, "but he's, ah, had a lot of things on his mind lately so you might have to be more blunt with him."

Eshe frowned slightly, "Has something bad happened? Atem was acting strange last week…"

"It's a little hard to explain", Téa murmured, nervously scratching at the back of her head, "but, you don't have to worry about it", she gave a smile of reassurance, "why don't _you_ ask _him_ out?"

The tanned girl looked a little skeptical, "well… you're _sure_ he would be up for it?"

" _Absolutely!_ " The enthusiasm with which Téa responded with was refreshingly certain, and Eshe smiled slightly, suddenly curious as to whether Atem had divulged much about their first date to the rest of the group.

"Okay. I'll text him", Eshe decided, a bold brashness rising within her as thoughts of what they could do on their next date arose. There were plenty of things to do; they could visit the aquarium, have a picnic, go bowling- Eshe heard there was a street-fair coming soon, perhaps they could head to that- or maybe they could check out the art gallery on the outskirts of the city?

As they left the shop, the tanned girl hummed in thought, "Do you think Atem would be interested in-"

Eshe stopped, pausing in the the middle of the walkway as people veered to avoid her and sent her subtle glares for blocking the way. She came to a halt as a feeling of uneasiness overcame her, her brown eyes darting around, searching for whatever caused the distinct feeling of wariness inside her.

"Eshe, what's wrong?" Téa's voice was firm, her hand on Eshe's shoulder with immediate concern.

"I don't know", Eshe responded, letting Téa know she wasn't experiencing another odd blackout, "I feel like I'm being watched."

"There's loads of people watching us, we're standing in the middle of the path", Téa answered, gently tugging on her arm to encourage her to move.

"No, there's… something…" Eshe shifted, turning her head to observe the faces in the distance; a chill crawled up her spine and she reached a hand up to rub the raised hairs on the back of her neck.

She couldn't see anyone suspicious, and yet, she didn't feel as though it was just her imagination creeping up on her.

Eshe grabbed Téa's wrist and led her out of the mall without a specific destination in mind; she just wanted to go.

* * *

On Tuesday morning, Atem and Yugi once again arrived at the confectionary cafe that Eshe worked at; she'd been called in to cover an early shift and promptly expressed her displeasure at having to work early. She mentioned that the morning shifts always ran slow as hardly any customers dropped by for desserts so early in the day, therefore Atem had proposed to visit, delighting in any excuse to spend more time with her.

Yugi sat across from him at the table, watching Atem with a smile as the tanned boy beamed at Eshe, who was behind the counter, preparing some breakfast treats especially for them.

"Marik called last night", Yugi suddenly spoke up in a hushed tone, out of earshot from anyone else in the cafe, "and he says everything is ready- he's going to break into the museum tomorrow night. He thinks it'd be best to do it then because it's closed on Thursday and Ishizu supposes the security might be a little more lax."

Atem nodded, "I'm surprised they've sorted this plan so quickly", he smiled, a spark of excitement in his eyes at the prospect of only being a couple of days away from having the necklace in his possession.

"Well, the sooner we have that necklace, the closer we'll be to-" Yugi lowered his voice further "-to restoring Eshe's memories. Oh man, I hope it works…"

"It will work", Atem stated, not a hint of alternation to his words, and Yugi hoped it was out of certainty, and not a firmness resulting from the boy's unwillingness to consider what it could mean if it _didn't_ work.

Their attention was swiped as Eshe appeared at the table, carrying a tray of goodies, "Here you go, boys", she spoke in a buoyant tone, placing two plates of pancakes down in front of them, along with a frothy, whipped-cream topped banana milkshake each.

"Can I get you anything else?" Eshe asked with a grin.

"No thanks, this looks delicious!" Yugi squeaked, and Eshe giggled.

"Pancakes are the best breakfast", she declared cheerfully, and turned with a bounce in her step to return behind the counter- but not before sending Atem an audacious wink.

Atem's cheeks tinged with pink, and Yugi smirked at the boy across from him, "I see your relationship with Eshe is coming along fine", his tone was mischievous.

Atem cleared his throat and idly took a sip of his milkshake, licking away the cream that accumulated on his top upper lip. "We're going on another date", he sounded mildly triumphant, "to an aquarium, on Saturday."

Yugi grinned, "That's great, Atem!" The young King of Games took a sip of his own milkshake and then rose an eyebrow, glancing between his own beverage and Atem's. "Wait… you've got extra sprinkles on your milkshake", he noted with a look of mild confusion.

Atem shrugged slightly at Yugi's pout.

"- _and_ you've got more maple syrup on your pancakes!"

The older boy's innocent expression was blemished with a clear flash of restrained smugness, though he still continued to act naive, like he didn't realise that Eshe was clearly playing favourites.

* * *

Eshe watched the boys eat their pancakes out of the corner of her eye as she lazily scrubbed clean one of the cafe glasses with a checkered kitchen towel; the shop was pretty quiet and they'd only had a few other customers besides Atem and Yugi.

She was glad they stopped by; it made her feel happy to know that they chose to visit her just because she had dreaded working a long and tedious shift- obviously the tasty breakfast was just an added plus. Eshe was especially taken by the bright smiles Atem kept sending her; she had to make a solid effort to not squeal like an infatuated schoolgirl every time she caught his gaze.

"How do you know that guy?" the voice of Eshe's co-worker broke her out of her incessant scrubbing and she looked up into the curious face of Haru.

"Huh?" Eshe shook her head dumbly and Haru motioned with a nod of his head to the table Atem and Yugi were occupying.

"How do you know him?"

"Which one are you talking about?" Eshe asked, following his gaze. Haru gave her an exasperated look.

"The tanned boy", he clarified, and then repeated his question for a third time, "how do you know that guy?"

Eshe watched Haru closely, raising an inquiring eyebrow, "He's my friend… why do you ask?"

She caught the way his eyes twitched back towards Atem, and his mouth curled almost unnoticeably into a smirk, "No reason."

"Really", Eshe murmured, unconvinced, but she dropped it as her eyes shifted, looking past her coworker's face and at the small television hanging in the corner of the cafe broadcasting the news.

Her eyes narrowed, catching the _breaking news_ icon and a headline mentioning the words ' _Domino City Museum_ '.

"What the hell?" she muttered under her breath, taking a few steps towards it; she reached up and twirled the volume dial, amplifying the sound with peaked curiosity.

"- _Police are urging any eyewitnesses to come forth regarding a break-in last night at precisely 2:45am-"_

"Holy shit", Eshe exclaimed quietly, mindful of the younger customers sitting in the corner of the cafe; she turned back to the table Atem and Yugi were sitting at, knowing they had a broad interest in the exhibits of the museum, "uh, hey, do you two know about this?" she called, and the two boys halted their conversation and shot her inquisitive looks.

Eshe could tell by the look on Yugi's face as he read the _breaking news_ headline that he had not previously known about it, and the boy jumped up, his chair creaking loudly as the legs dragged on the floor. He stood in front of the tv, listening intently to the report that was being broadcasted, and Atem rose from his seat a little slower, a perturbed expression on his face.

"- _an unexplained blackout occurred in the security cameras, and shortly after, the alarm was triggered, alerting authorities to the scene. It is reported that only one item was stolen, an Egyptian necklace dated roughly 1000 B.C and valued an estimated five-hundred-thousand dollars, known widely throughout the archeological society as The Lost Lavalliere-_ "

"That's the necklace we saw, isn't it?" Eshe murmured, a peculiar feeling of somber nervousness bubbling in her stomach, "That's crazy…"

She turned her attention from the television to Atem and Yugi, and her anxiety spiked at the expressions instilled on their faces.

Yugi's eyes were narrowed, his lips parted, a sort of angry perplexity to his face and a hint of growing tension in his body - but Atem was stock-still, hands clenched at his sides; his eyes were wide with shock and he very suddenly looked worryingly pale.

Their reactions left Eshe stunned and disturbed; what puzzled her was the way they seemed so personally appalled by the broadcast, as if it was a report declaring that there'd been a break-in at their own home.

It was startling, as was the prickling sensation of foreboding brushing across her consciousness.

* * *

 **Notes: Oh dang. Look's like someone beat the gang to the punch... ;) Please review!**


	13. Something Here From Somewhere Else

**Important Note: When I updated the last chapter, it failed to send out a notification alert email to this story's subscribers so please double check that you have read the previous chapter before starting this one, please!**

* * *

Transcending Time

Chapter Twelve: There's Something Here From Somewhere Else

Thirty days.

It had been thirty days since Atem had turned away from the gates to the afterlife in favour of searching for his mysteriously missing queen. Thirty days since he had turned his back on eternal rest because he just couldn't stand the thought of existing in the divine realm without her by his side.

"Atem…?"

She was stood by his side now, unaware of the bond they shared in their previously life, a concerned apprehension weighing heavily on her features as she reached out a hesitant hand to touch his arm.

Marik and Ishizu were so sure their plan would work, and it had built a confidence and surety in Atem, reinforced by Yugi's optimism. He'd become excited at the prospect of getting his hands on that necklace again, to be able to feel the surefire pulse of his life energy vibrating within the core of the object that represented his dedication for the woman he loved. The idea that they might have been days away from restoring Eshe's memories had made him abundantly skittish in the very best way; it had almost been enough to push back the apparent cause of her death from the forefront of his mind.

Funny how quickly your mood can flip on its head.

One third of Atem's time was up, and it had gone by so quickly; the pressing feeling that he wasn't doing enough ate away at him every day no matter how much Yugi assured him they were making progress.

And now, Atem's heart raced in his ear and adrenaline pumped through his veins as he continued to watch the news report in stunned silence.

The necklace was not stolen by a common thief; whoever had broken into the museum had done so with the sole purpose of retrieving the Lost Lavalliere. If it had been just a common thief, they could have swiped any number of items, but instead they went straight for the necklace- the necklace which was buried deep within the Egyptian exhibit.

No, whoever it was knew the significance behind the Lost Lavalliere, and something in his gut told him that they were likely involved in- or at the very least, aware of- Eshe's mysterious death.

Which meant Atem had to find them, as soon as possible.

"- _It was reported earlier this morning that a CCTV camera adjacent to the museum caught footage of a hooded figure running away from the scene; this person is being treated as a prime suspect. If anybody has any information or recognises the individual shown in the video, please call the number on screen now-_ "

A short sample of grainy video feed played, depicting a figure sprinting with impressive speed down a scarcely lit street. The video stilled on the moment the image was clearest, offering the best available comparison for identification.

The unknown being was clothed in tight, black clothes- head hidden by a hood with the drawstring pulled taut; they were roughly the same height as Atem, from what he could distinguish, perhaps give or take a few inches, and they were lithe, moving with practised finesse. They were clearly athletic, running with perfect form.

A nondescript bag was slung over their shoulder, no doubt housing the stolen necklace if this was indeed the person who had pinched it. It probably was, after all, who would run with such speed, in all black, hiding their face from view, away from the scene of a crime if they were innocent.

Atem's clenched hands tightened as he subtly leaned in, eyes scanning over the paused individual; he could not identify them from their build alone, and nothing else about them sparked any sort of recognition within his mind.

"Atem", Eshe repeated more firmly, and he turned suddenly to face her, observing the deep frown on her face. She must've been trying to speak to him while his mind was reeling with thoughts.

"Sorry", Atem responded, "I wasn't ignoring you", he assured her, steeling his nerves and his composure before turning to Yugi, who was watching him with a tense expression.

"We need to contact Ishizu, now", Atem stated, and Yugi nodded in silent agreement.

"What's wrong, Atem?" Eshe inquired with clear-cut anxiety.

Atem felt guilty knowing he didn't have any explanation for what he knew must have been quite odd behaviour from Eshe's point of view; he laid a hand on her arm and squeezed gently, wanting nothing more than to pull her into an embrace and envelop her within his arms- it would certainly have been a more assuring form of comfort than a brief brush of his fingers on her skin- but he wasn't entirely sure she saw him on that level of intimacy quite yet.

"Yugi and I need to go", he informed her with an apologetic, strained smile on his face, "I can't explain why, I'm sorry, but I'll text you later." There was absolutely no point in lying to her, she could always read him like an open book.

Her eyes searched his face, and her expression deflated as she reluctantly dropped the matter with a nod of acknowledgement.

"Okay… talk soon", she spoke, her hand succinctly caressed his own before he released her arm.

"Goodbye", Yugi waved a hand, forcing optimism and an unconvincing smile as he took a step towards the cafe exit.

"Be safe", Eshe called to Atem as he followed the younger boy.

Atem paused to turn to her, a small fondness overcoming him as her words reminded him of her caring nature; he was struck with thoughts of the times during his childhood in which he had left the palace without her. She'd always worried about him when they were apart, only truly relaxed when he was in her line of sight again, and he felt it every time in the way she held him.

"You too", he told her, and this time he didn't have to force the smile onto his face; he turned to leave the cafe with a flutter of determination.

He'd find the culprit, hunt them down if he had to; he wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of his love, and her certainly wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Joey snapped, resting his head sulkily in his palms against the surface of the dining table, "This is terrible!"

"I'm worried, you guys", Téa spoke; she leant against the kitchen counter and began to wring her hands obsessively, "does anyone else feel like this can't be a coincidence?"

"Atem and I are almost entirely sure it wasn't", Yugi replied; the younger boy sighed and shook his head slightly in dismay.

The two boys had left the cafe and quickly called their friends to meet them at the Game Shop, furthermore Yugi had contacted the Ishtars and invited them round once more to discuss what would happen next.

The gang sat around the table, all silently thinking about the ramifications behind this latest development, waiting with baited breath for the Ishtars to arrive so they could begin a whirlwind of theories and speculation, hoping to find a possible solution.

Tristan leaned over the table, eyeing the digital tablet that displayed the still image of the suspected thief from the news broadcast, and shifted his gaze to Atem, who appeared to retain a collective composure on the outside, but was most likely clamping down on his disquiet to avoid showing how uneasy he was.

Atem's fixed grip on the chain of his Millennium Puzzle was the only indication of his undoubtedly befuddled discernment; his eyes were closed and there was a deep frown etched in his face.

"I know this might be a stupid question, but… anyone you might know?" Tristan asked the tanned boy with a raised eyebrow.

Atem shook his head, eyes slipping open, and he shrugged his shoulders, "Impossible to say. No one comes to mind."

Joey groaned, "It just doesn't make sense! Why would they steal Eshe's necklace?"

"I think there's something bigger at work here", Yugi voiced, leaning back in his seat, "I can't shake the feeling that this person-" he tapped the image on the tablet, "-is connected to Eshe's past." He frowned, disappointed that he couldn't elaborate on this thoughts; while there was no proof that his assumption was correct, something led him to believe that the appropriation of the necklace _just_ before they'd made plans to steal it was far _too much_ of a coincidence.

The universe was rarely so lazy.

"Do you think someone knew we planning on stealing the necklace?" Téa inquired nervously, and Yugi shrugged.

"I hope not", Joey murmured, "I'm too young to go to prison!"

Their musings were interrupted by the telltale sound of the Game Shop door ringing open; Yugi hopped out of his chair to peak through the small window into the shop. The Ishtars had arrived, Yugi greeted them and led them into the room, their faces both apologetic.

"This is certainly a dilemma", Ishizu spoke as they joined the group at the table, "and quite unexpected."

"We spoke to Kaiba again, he's already aware of what happened; he told us he might be able to access the CCTV archives for areas surrounding the museum, but it's likely the police are already searching through the footage now and haven't come up with anything, so there's not much more he can do… oh, and he also said the duel isn't off", Marik informed them, his eyes flicking to tanned boy.

Atem subtly rolled his eyes, and Joey huffed, "So much for rich-boy being helpful…"

Ishizu placed the suitcase on the table and slipped the latches open, she pulled out the fake necklace and placed it down before the group, "It is unfortunate that we could not execute our plan sooner", she spoke regrettably, "our only option now might just be to wait…"

Yugi frowned, but nodded in understanding, "That might be a problem. We only have sixty days left."

"We are aware… and we'll do our best to help in any way that we can", Marik told them.

"Yugi was just saying, he thinks the thief might be connected to Eshe's past… do you think that could be true?" Téa asked curiously.

"It's entirely possible, we shouldn't rule anything out", Ishizu's gaze passed briefly over Atem, "I believe you should exercise caution. If this person is linked to your past, they might know of your spiritual connection to the necklace."

"Hey, there's a point", Joey spoke up, "Atem, you said you can sense the necklace because it contains a part of your life-energy. Can't you use your Puzzle to help find it?"

"Like a sniffer dog?" Tristan exclaimed with a hint of amusement, and promptly received a muted glare from Joey.

Atem sighed, "I've already tried. It's too far away- I couldn't sense it before until I was in the same room with it, so I probably won't be able to unless it's nearby."

"Pharaoh", Ishizu spoke again, "if they _do_ know that the Queen's necklace contains a fraction of your life-energy, then they could be very dangerous", her tone was grim, and a hush fell upon the group, attitudes dampened at the idea that they might have yet another troublesome foe to face.

"That being said, they might endeavour to come after either you or Eshe next." Ishizu finished, and Atem's expression darkened.

Téa seemed extremely nervous all of a sudden, "You don't think… that someone might have been watching us, do you?"

All eyes turned to Téa, apprehension ingrained on their faces, and Tristan spoke, "What makes you think that?"

"It's something that happened the other day", Téa's tone was averse, "I was shopping with Eshe and she started acting strange- I thought she had blacked out again but then she dragged me out of the mall, and… well, she said she thought someone was following her."

"Did you see anyone?" Atem asked briskly, and Téa shook her head.

"No one that looked suspicious. I did try and ask her about it but she told me it was probably nothing and that she was just being paranoid… but now, I have a bad feeling that wasn't the case."

"Maybe we should go to the police?" Joey offered tentatively, and Yugi looked skeptically at him.

"Joey, if this is someone from Atem's and Eshe's past, it probably isn't something the police can help with…"

Joey scratched his chin, pouting slightly, "Well can't they like, dust the museum for fingerprints or somethin'?"

Yugi looked down at the image of the potential culprit, "They're wearing gloves…"

"Oh." Joey sighed dejectedly; he sat back in his chair and shrugged remorsefully, "I don't know what to suggest, guys."

Atem pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time, "I'm going back to the cafe", he declared, pushing away from the table.

"Huh? Why?" Yugi asked curiously, watching the older boy grab his jacket from the coat rack.

"If someone dangerous is watching us, we shouldn't go anywhere alone- she finishes work in an hour, I'm going to walk her home", Atem explained, shrugging his jacket onto his shoulders.

"That's probably for the best", Ishizu agreed.

"Doesn't she drive to work?" Joey wondered.

"Not today, she chose to walk, said something about wanting to get more exercise", the tanned boy answered with a shrug, "If she was driving, I'd be more at ease…"

"Hey, you want me to come with?" Tristan offered, and Atem shook his head.

"I'll be fine."

"You _just_ said none of us should go anywhere alone", Yugi alluded, and Atem flushed slightly at being caught avoiding his own advice.

"Ya know what I think, guys?" Joey's tone was sly and there was a suggestive smirk on his face, "I think Atem just wants to spend more time alone with Eshe."

Atem paused halfway through shoving his arm into his jacket sleeve, a mix of flustered exasperation on his face as he met the trifling amused gaze of his friends.

"Shut up", the Pharaoh grumbled sheepishly.

"A-ha! I knew it!" Joey exclaimed victoriously, drawing smiles from the others around them, and Atem didn't even bother to hide his pout.

"I've got the Puzzle for protection, don't worry about me", Atem spoke, ignoring the teasing grins aimed in his direction.

"If you're sure", Yugi nodded, and with that, Atem left with a confident resolve and an eagerness to protect.

"I hope nothing bad happens", Téa spoke forlornly, reminding everyone of the situation at stake.

"Hey, don't worry, like he said- he's got the Puzzle", Yugi assured her, and then brought his attention back to the Ishtars.

"There's something else we wanted to discuss, Yugi", Marik spoke steadily, reaching for the faux necklace.

The Ishtars had come to Domino with the fake necklace a week prior, and at that time it may have just seemed like a nondescript, ordinary piece of jewellery to any of the airline staff that might've seen it. But now, the image of the Lost Lavalliere was plastered over every television screen in the country, and they ran the risk of being caught in possession of an item that looked _identical_ to the untrained eye. Moreover, there was a small possibility they could have been remembered, in which case it wouldn't be too long before they were investigated.

Hence why it came to no surprise when Ishizu asked Yugi to hang on to the fake necklace.

"There is no reason for anyone to suspect you, of course, but we might not be so lucky", Marik explained; he held out the object to Yugi, who took it with a nod.

"I'll hold onto it", the younger boy assured him, "maybe it'll come in handy."

* * *

It was difficult for Eshe to maintain concentration when her mind was trained on Atem and the accompanying fear he had failed to keep from his expression that morning. Her confounded anxiety had kicked itself into overdrive and she'd actually caught her hands shaking several times throughout her work shift.

Atem had brushed off his seemingly irrational reaction to the broadcast, as if it was something she shouldn't worry about, but her brain was a champion at imagining up all sorts of terrible scenarios that might have occurred. She found herself overly interested in his well-being, and was directly affected by his demeanour- if he seemed happy, it was reassuring to her and brought her happiness, but if something seemed even the slightest bit negative about how he presented himself, it made her feel as though she was at fault, and that she was inept because she couldn't bring a smile to his face.

She was filled with aberrant thoughts, and deep down she knew it wasn't her fault, but given that her brain was in a consistent battle with itself, it was hard to remember that the dispositions of those around her weren't personally correlative of her own actions.

After living most of her life with her aunt and uncle, she was used to being blamed for a lot of the obstacles they faced, no matter whose indiscretion it was; it was hard not to fall back on that mindset.

Therefore, she was filled with frustration, self-deprecation, and above all _confusion_.

Why exactly _had_ Atem and Yugi acted so strangely upon learning that the Lost Lavalliere had been stolen?

It didn't seem like an appropriate reaction given the circumstances; for example, the thought that the extravagant ancient artifact had been robbed was mildly disconcerting given that she'd just been staring at it a few weeks prior, but she didn't feel like something had been directly snatched from her.

That's how it seemed they had reacted.

Then again maybe the boys had a more personal connection with the exhibit and it's assets that she wasn't quite aware of; regardless, it still seemed odd.

"Can I get a vanilla milkshake please, miss?"

Eshe blinked, her gaze darting to the other side of the counter where the tiny voice had startled her out of her trance-like state; her eyes dropped to the timid, young boy who was standing on his tiptoes. The kid was barely taller than the countertop surface, and Eshe forced a beaming smile, unwilling to come off as rude to the little boy.

"Of course! Would you like any whipped cream or sauce on top?"

The boy seemed thrilled at the prospect of adding more sugary delights to his already sugary beverage, and turned to his mother who was sitting at a table across the room, watching him order. He searched her face for permission to add extras to his shake, and the mother rolled her eyes slightly, then nodded her assent; the little boy grinned widely, all hints of shyness diminished, and squeaked an excitable "yes, please!"

Eshe giggled, "Coming right up, kiddo."

She took the money that the little boy offered, and prepared his order with renewed enthusiasm.

As somber as her thoughts became, she was glad for the inadvertent and welcomed distractions her younger customers sometimes offered; in other words, _children were adorable_ and always put a smile on her face.

Upon handing the young boy his order, and receiving a bright "thank you, miss!" in return, Eshe returned to her thoughts with a little more optimism and logical thinking.

With her nerves calmed, Eshe concluded that whatever situation was bothering Atem, it wasn't anything to do with her, nor was it any of her business. As such, she decided she wouldn't pry to try and find out; she would simply let the boy decide whether he wanted to tell her or not.

Eshe chose her moment of analytical reflection to dwell on the perturbing feeling that had overcome her a few days prior during her shopping trip with Téa. She was hesitant to call it _paranoia_ , not so quick to dismiss the experience as her mind playing tricks on her, but given her recent track record for mental health, she didn't immediately want to rule it out.

She let out a sigh, aware that she probably shouldn't attempt to be her own psychologist.

A memory pushed itself into the forefront of Eshe's mind, and she remembered a time where she had felt as though she couldn't trust the people around her; she had expressed these misgivings to her therapist when she was younger and her therapist's response was something she would never forget.

" _Given your struggles, it's perfectly normal that you might feel that way even towards family and friends, but never discredit your gut instinct. Perhaps you aren't paranoid. Your body can pick up on bad vibrations; if something deep inside of you says something is not right about a person or situation, then trust it._ "

Eshe turned away from the counter, facing the prep area of the cafe; she crossed her arms and closed her eyes, allowing herself to breathe in deeply and release the air slowly.

"You know, Eshe, you really shouldn't be having your mental breakdowns while you're working. At least save it till the end of your shift?" Haru's ever snarky voice permeated her contemplation, and Eshe's eyes slowly slipped open to reward the guy with an exasperated glare.

The guy in question was on his knees, hands covered with bright yellow rubber gloves as he scrubbed a low shelf below the adjacent counter.

"I'm not having a mental breakdown, Haru, I'm _avoiding_ a mental breakdown."

"Tch, whatever you say, girl."

Eshe rolled her eyes, her gaze drifting to the clock hanging on the wall. Her shift would end in ten minutes, and then she'd be able to escape her sarcastic co-worker as well as her hindering thought patterns.

Haru rose to his full height with a stretch and opened his mouth to speak, before his eyes trailed past Eshe's face and to the apparent presence behind her; Eshe turned and came face to face with Atem.

"Oh! I didn't hear you come in", Eshe spoke, blinking in surprise, a slight flush rising to her cheeks, "how long have you been standing there?"

She took a moment to observe the boy's manner; he seemed a little more relaxed than earlier, though Eshe presumed that it might have been a well-practised facade, and he offered her a smile- slightly crooked and not entirely genuine.

"Uh, not long. I'm sorry for leaving so quickly earlier, I had to sort something out", Atem spoke, an apologetic tone to his words.

"It's okay, don't worry about it", Eshe deflected, bringing a light intonation to her words in an effort to communicate forgiveness; it worked, his shoulders relaxed and his features softened, slipping away from the tense knit of his eyebrows.

"I was wondering if I could walk you home", Atem inquired, his eyes shifting as pinkness graced his cheeks, and Eshe felt warmth blossom in her chest.

"You want to walk me home?" Eshe repeated, a shy smile pulling at her lips, and the boy nodded hesitantly.

"If you don't mind?", Atem added.

The timidness in his tone as he spoke his inquiry was near delightful, something about his strong baritone voice sounding so gentle and unsure set off a tingling sensation down Eshe's spine; it was alluring and pleasant.

"I'd like that", Eshe's response was just as soft, and it brought a fine smile to Atem's face, "I'll just grab my thing from my locker."

The clock struck three o'clock in the afternoon, signalling the end of her shift, and Eshe quickly entered the back room to hang up her apron and retrieve her shoulder bag. Upon exiting the staff's cloakroom, she spotted Atem eyeing her co-worker with a deep frown etched onto his face.

 _Weird._

With a curious gaze, she observed Haru, searching for any reason Atem might have been put off by something the other boy was doing; but all she could see was Haru steadily washing cutlery and glasses with his back turned.

From her angle she could see Haru's stance was stiff and it appeared that he was whistling the tune of some arcade video game.

"Ready?" Eshe asked carefully as she approached Atem, and his suspicious leer dropped as he drew his attention back to her.

"Yes, let's go", he spoke with a smile.

It wasn't until they'd left the cafe that Eshe regarded Atem with a raised eyebrow and asked, "what did Haru do?"

"Hm?" Atem's expression was questioning and confused.

"My co-worker", she clarified, "you were glaring at him."

"Oh", Atem frowned, "he was staring at me."

Eshe snorted, "He was staring at you? Is that all?"

The boy looked mildly indignant, hands shoved in his pockets as he walked with a slight slump, "He's stared at me every time I've come to the cafe, and then when I look at him he looks away. He thinks I haven't noticed…"

Eshe couldn't help the trickle of amusement that ran through her, somewhat surprised that Haru's drawn out gaze had made Atem uncomfortable. He hadn't seemed like the kind of person to become unnerved under a stranger's scrutiny; after all, she recalled their initial meeting back at the zoo, Leela had spent the whole time glaring at him and he'd been unfazed, even challenging in his own mannerisms.

The only explanation Eshe could bring about was that his suddenly antsy behaviour was a result of whatever event had pulled him away so suddenly this morning. As such, she opted for reassurance.

"Haru is just weird, don't take it personally", she offered to relieve his doubt, "he's a great guy, really." Although she had her ups and downs with the boy in the four months she'd known him, his snide humour never did anything to overstep the boundaries she was comfortable with, and there were a few times he had said something that resulted in her laughing harder than she ever had before.

Surprisingly, her finishing statement and fond expression appeared to evoke clear signs of jealousy in Atem's facial features. His eyebrows knitted, his muscles tightened and his lips formed a thin line.

Eshe paused, taken aback to see such expression exuding from him; she hadn't witnessed him acting in such a way before in the several weeks she had known him, and in the strangest way it almost made her feel wanted.

It was hypocritical of her, she knew, to feel satisfied knowing Atem was jealous of her complimenting another guy when she had openly rejected such behaviour from her best friend, Leela. She squashed down her hypocrisy and spoke, "don't be like that."

Atem halted in his strides and gave her a puzzled look, the obvious jealousy still ripe on his face, "don't be like what?"

She ignored his question, certain that he knew full well what she was referring to and was simply acting coy, "Haru is my coworker and friend, there's nothing dubious about him, okay? I trust him."

Eshe could tell the moment Atem realised she had picked up on his envy, and he bit back his shame at resenting a stranger just because Eshe had spoken favourably of him.

"Sorry", he apologised for such irrationality.

"It's alright", Eshe offered him a forgiving smile, and he flushed slightly.

They fell into comfortable silence, resuming their matching pace as they strode down the street in the direction of Eshe's apartment building. Eshe breathed in the fresh air and welcomed the chill of the gentle breeze that broke through the warmth of the sun; out of the corner of her eye she watched Atem in her peripheral vision, he'd chosen to wear a light jacket in result of the somewhat drafty weather and it was covering his impressively muscular arms.

 _Speaking of…_

"Has that bruise healed yet?" Eshe inquired, an apologetic smile on her face, and Atem let out a rich chuckle, moving to rub his bicep firmly with his other palm.

"More or less, it's stopped hurting", he told her, and Eshe giggled.

"You know, I still feel bad about that…"

"You needn't feel that way, I've already forgiven you, remember?"

Eshe smiled; the way Atem worded things was ultimately reassuring. Instead of saying " _don't worry_ " or " _it's okay_ ", he said " _I forgive you_ ", and the simply statement seemed so comforting, not deflective like the former comments which always left her room for doubt.

She couldn't tell if he knew the soothing impact behind the words he'd chosen; but if he did then she admired him greatly for knowing how utilise his language. Eshe vaguely wondered if his fine way of speaking was the product of learning or if it was his naturally gifted charisma.

Eshe noted that his body language had changed to that of a more relaxed nature, his head was held higher and his hands had left the pockets of his jeans; one of which was now idly playing with the chain of his Millennium Puzzle.

Her eyes shifted and locked onto Atem's fingers lightly encircling the metallic chain and a shiver rushed through her as she pictured those same fingers wrapped around her own - as he had done prior to and following their first date when he'd chivalrously kissed her hand.

Immediately, Eshe felt her face heat up a glowing red as she shoved the thoughts out of her head with a start; her flustered manner was easily noticeably and Atem gave her a curious look as she bumbled and rushed to hide her face. He didn't say anything regarding her sudden demureness, but it was clear he found it amusing if the coy smile on his face was anything to go by.

She avoided his brief glances for the remaining duration of the walk, until they arrived outside the front entrance of Eshe's apartment building.

"So this is where you live", Atem hummed, looking up at the very tall housing complex.

"Uh-huh", Eshe confirmed, her blush having thankfully diminished, "Leela and I are on the fifth floor, it's a pretty cool view."

Atem nodded, smiling softly as he caught her gaze, and Eshe spied a spark of affection in his eyes that she'd seen on occasion whenever he'd turned to face her completely.

She couldn't help but stare into the deep purple of his irises; she still found it astounding that such an eye-colour could exist. It was truly unique… and gorgeous.

Eshe blinked as he raised his hand to her face and brushed a strand of hair away that had fallen into her eyes; his fingertips trailed through her silky locks and behind her ear.

The simplicity of the motion did nothing to counteract its sweetness.

Before she could stop herself, she'd flung her arms around the boy and pulled him into a firm embrace; he let out a soft noise of surprise in his sharp exhale, and the split-second moment of tenseness drained out of his body and he quickly returned the gesture, wrapping her in his strong arms and pulling her close.

She rested her face against his shoulder for a few moments, relieved he had responded in kind and she let herself relax in the warmth and softness of his hold.

"Thank you for walking me home", Eshe murmured softly against the fabric of his jacket.

"It was my pleasure", Atem responded after a beat, and Eshe released her arms from around his neck, her fingers brushing his arms as they trailed away. She felt his hold linger on her just a moment longer before he too released her.

She smiled at him, feeling the heat radiating from his cheeks as she noticed the blush on his face.

"I'll see you Saturday", Eshe spoke, and Atem nodded.

"Yes, see you Saturday."

Eshe waved as she took a few backwards steps into her apartment building; Atem didn't move until she'd disappeared up the first flight of stairs.

* * *

 **Notes: Special thank you to MetallicalyLove for just being so rad and enthusiastic and giving me some crazy motivation. I live for your feedback, so please be sure to review if you enjoy this story! :)**


	14. Like You Imagined When You Were Young

Transcending Time

Chapter Thirteen: Like You Imagined When You Were Young

 _Eshe breathed a soft, worried sigh, wringing her hands in her lap endlessly as waves of uneasiness rippled against her soul. She was alone today; her husband, the prince, had travelled at his father's request to a sacred temple and she had not been allowed to accompany them._

 _Atem hadn't told her much because his father had withheld the details of their destination; all he'd known was that it was a sacred temple and only he and his father were allowed to enter. Which was fair, Eshe knew, she respected the wishes of the Pharaoh and the Gods; she didn't dare lurk in spaces she was not permitted._

 _That was not what bothered her. Simply knowing Atem was away brought a swell of discontent to her mind, and she felt compelled to prowl around their favourite dwelling - which is where she currently sat, amongst the brush and foliage by the colourful fish pond._

 _In an effort to entertain herself and alleviate her worriment, she gently swayed her head in time with the affable birdsong emanating from the trees above. The plovers appeared to be singing for the sole purpose of bringing her calmness and enjoyment, and for that she was thankful. She let herself hum along an improvised melody as she idly rubbed her finger against the gifted necklace that hung at her breast, forgetting the troublesome chill crawling over her that had nothing to do with the weather._

 _Her tune came to a sudden stop as she sensed a presence behind her, and the birds above quickly flapped their wings to flee at the abrupt appearance of someone new._

" _Hey, that's a nice song."_

 _Eshe turned her head to find Atsu standing behind her; his hands were entwined behind his back and he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, a somewhat curious look on his face._

" _Hey Atsu", Eshe greeted with a small smile._

" _Missing Prince Atem?" the boy asked knowingly, moving forward to claim the spot beside her._

" _Am I that obvious?" her tone was dry with a dash of humour, and she received a snort in return._

" _As always."_

" _Where's Dalila?" Eshe wondered; often times wherever Atsu went, Dalila wasn't far behind. The brother and sister tended to stick together and it was rare to see them apart._

" _Still in the archives, finishing her studies of the day", he answered, and then smiled brightly over at the princess. "Listen, if you're feeling down then I can help cheer you up!"_

 _Eshe raised an eyebrow at her friend, "Oh? Are you going to try that flower trick again?"_

 _Atsu took her inquisitively quirked brow as permission to continue and eagerly reached into the pond before them, cupping his hands to pry out the pale pink lotus flower that was perched among a bed of lily pads. The stem snapped as he plucked it from its resting place and he held it out expectantly for Eshe to take into her hands._

" _You shouldn't do that..." Eshe grumbled, "You shouldn't pick the flowers."_

 _He pouted below her scolding gaze, offering an apologetic expression and a slight shrug of his shoulders, "Sorry Eshe. I just- I really think I've got the hang of this spell now!" His excitement sparkled in his vivid green eyes and Eshe sighed, brushing off her irritation at his blatant disregard for nature in favour of appreciating his imminent display of magic._

" _Okay, but don't do it again. Go ahead", the princess nodded for him to begin as she held up the dripping lotus flower that rested in her palms._

" _Alright. Watch me turn this lotus into a daisy", he spoke confidently, raising his hands to hover above the delicate bloom in her own._

 _His eyes slipped closed and Eshe's gaze flickered between his concentrated expression and the lotus she held. She had watched him carry out these actions many times before, never once yet had he succeeded in this spell; his failure was always followed by a grumble about not being able to articulate the incantation correctly, or that he wasn't able to focus due to the tittering of the birds._

 _As Atsu condensed his magical energy into his downturned hands, a light breeze undulated around them, causing their hair to flutter in the wind, and he spoke a low series of words that were foreign to her ears._

 _Eshe had briefly held an interest in learning to use magic in her younger life, but she'd never gotten the hang of translating the incanting language, nor did she possess the significant ability to actually safely wield the supernatural powers- at least not without the aid of an enchanted object- but even then, only experienced sorcerers were trusted with them._

 _Atsu had been taught the art of wizardry under the tutelage of Mahad, who was an expert magic-user and crucial member of the Pharaoh's court; the boy idolised his teacher and was always striving to impress him. But try as he might, for some reason, he just didn't seem able to grasp this "simple" alteration spell. He excelled at other categories of spells, such as conjuration and illusion, while his rival, the ever-mysterious Rura, focused his studies in enchanting and destruction._

 _The boy's expression hardened as his incantation came to a finish, and his hands effused a yellowish glow; the tingle of residual magic crept up Eshe's arms, causing goosebumps to raise on her skin, before dissipating along with the light._

 _In Eshe's hands, the lotus remained, unchanged._

 _Atsu's eyes raised to her face, a hint of searching puzzlement in his expression, before he frowned, glared down at his unhandy work and muttered, "Unbelievable!"_

 _His tone was frustrated and snappy, and Eshe bit her lip to hide an amused smirk, "Don't give up, Atsu, you'll get it eventually."_

" _I don't understand why it's not working", Atsu murmured, his narrowed gaze lingering on the lotus, "I_ _ **am**_ _speaking the incantation correctly._ _ **Why**_ _isn't it working?"_

 _His question was rhetorical and he was speaking to himself more than to Eshe; the princess gave an apologetic smile, before movement caught her eye in the archway leading from the courtyard beyond Atsu's shoulder._

 _Eshe frowned at the sight of Rura, the older boy stood stiffly in the entrance to the gardens, dressed in his pristine white robes, accompanied with the sense of uneasiness that seemed to trail along with him with every stubborn step he took. His black hair was unbraided today, falling perfectly straight over his shoulders._

 _The student magician just stood there, watching her, and Eshe held his gaze from across the gardens, unwilling to let this boy intimidate her again. She was the wife of the future Pharaoh, for Ra's sake, she wouldn't allow herself to shiver with unease at the mere sight of someone._

 _Atsu caught her narrowed glare and glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of his academic adversary, and immediately the sandy-haired boy tensed._

" _What are you looking at?" Atsu daringly called out to the black-haired boy. Rura's neutral expression did not waver even a smidgen, and he continued to stare in silence._

 _Atsu rose challengingly to his feet, a very quiet growl leaving the back of his throat, and Eshe's lips parted in concern, hoping a magical fight wasn't about to break out in the gardens._

 _Gods._ _ **Anywhere**_ _but the gardens._

 _She timidly reached over to lay the fractured lotus flower back onto its bed of lily pads and then she pulled herself to her feet, subconsciously crossing her arms to exude authority._

 _As Atem's wife, she did hold the most power out of the three of them._

 _For another uncomfortable moment, Rura eyed them mutely, before turning nimbly on his feet; Eshe watched his back as he retreated gracefully inside the palace._

* * *

Rura was truly fascinating, and certainly one of the more spellbinding creations, _no pun intended_ , to come out of Eshe's recurrent dream-world. A person shrouded with mystery and perplexities to her dream-self's consciousness, and the scarce appearances he made were enough to stick in her mind.

She glided her pencil across the immaculate white paper, intent on drawing the boy who personified her disquietude as she slept. She began with his eyes, cold and grey with a piercing stare - the gaze seemed to watch her from inside the canvas of her sketch - his brow was narrowed above his slightly lowered eyelids. Rura's nose was straight and pointy, not too big and not too small; his lips were thin and set in a steady line.

Eshe lightly shaded the shadows of his face to represent his faintly tanned skin, then she began to gently take down the foundations of his straight, silky black hair. She managed to imply Rura's mechanical posture below the prim and proper sorcerer's robes he adorned.

 _Scratch, scratch, scratch._

Exhaling a sigh, Eshe absentmindedly crosshatched the remainder of the page, bringing a depth to her image, as well as a sense of capriciousness; she pushed the dream from her mind and focused on the day to come.

 _Scratch, scratch, scratch._

A lazy smile grew on her face as a vibrating excitement reverberated within her chest; it was Saturday, and that meant it was the day she would go on her second date with Atem. She had to figure out what to wear if she wanted to dazzle Atem the way he had done so to her on their first date; his chosen outfit had made him quite the visage.

 _Scratch, scratch, scratch._

She bit her lip, frowning suddenly. A nervousness poked at her mind as she thought about her unpredictable blackouts that had been sporadically occurring during the past month; she didn't want another of these abrupt hallucinations to ruin her day and she certainly didn't want to burden Atem with her bothersome issues. It seemed he already had troubles of his own; he didn't need to know all the details of her debilitating nightmares, nor her confusing visions.

 _Scratch, scratch, scratch._

She had promised Leela she'd book a doctor's appointment, but had failed to follow through with that commitment - put off by the idea of speaking to someone about her troubles. She knew it would probably help, but the burrowing anxiety within told her _no, it's just pointless, nothing will come of it, just like last time._ Meds hadn't helped her in her childhood, so why would they help now?

 _Scratch, scratch,_ _ **snap.**_

Eshe's hand stilled and her gaze hardened on her pencil, the broken piece of graphite rolled around on the desk where she had pressed it too hard against the paper; her lip quivered for a moment as her eyes surveyed the scribbly mess she had created. Dark, angry lines decorated the previously blank space around the depiction of Rura, and Eshe bristled at the way it made the figure look all the more daunting.

Wordlessly, she placed her broken pencil down and slipped the drawing into her sketchpad.

* * *

" _Leela!_ I need you help!"

Leela leapt to her feet off the couch at the screeching cry of her close friend; she whipped around to see Eshe stumbling down the hallway, a frantic expression plastered on her face.

"What!? What is it!?" Leela squeaked with panicked concern, eyeing her friend with a wide gaze.

"Do I wear my violet blouse or the baby-blue one?"

Leela's startelement deflated immediately into a deadpanned gaze, she crossed her arms with exasperation.

"Are you serious?"

" _Yes_ , I'm serious! Come on! Help me out here, I should have left to meet Atem five minutes ago!" Eshe waved her hands, one of them clutching the baby-blue blouse while she pointed erratically to the violet one she'd already put on, " _which on?!_ "

"You're unbelievable", Leela grumbled, slumping back down unceremoniously onto the sofa to continue reading her magazine.

Eshe let out an immature wail at Leela's unwillingness to help, " _Fine_ , I'll just go with violet", the girl scurried back into her room to find her shoes and her roommate rolled her eyes.

"You've had all day to prepare for your stupid date…"

" _It's not stupid, shut up, I can hear you!_ " Eshe's cry echoed down the hall and she quickly reappeared, tightly gripping her handbag; she moved to examine her appearance in the mirror, curling her fingers through her hair to encourage the mess of locks into something more presentable.

Leela rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her friend's antics; Eshe had been fussing around since the moment she left her bedroom that morning with a desperate determination to make good impression for her second date. Leela found her dedication to be ridiculous.

"I don't know why you're so strung up now about this date. You weren't _this_ bothered the first time…" Leela's grumbling tone did nothing to disguise her feelings towards Eshe's budding relationship with Atem.

"Look, I know I said nothing would probably come of this but… I'm _really_ starting to like him. A lot", Eshe stole a quick glance to her friend, her cheeks tinged pink as she admitted her obvious fondness for the boy.

Leela's expression was arid as her eyes scanned the magazine in her hands, and then she declared in a colourless tone, "Eshe, you've dropped something."

Eshe blinked, glancing down around her feet curiously, "what?"

"Your standards."

With a frown, Eshe defiantly stomped towards the front door, "You know, Leela, you're getting better at insulting my life choices. That _almost_ hurt my feelings." Her tone was sarcastic, indicative of the way she was utterly fed-up with Leela's continual rudeness regarding Atem.

"See ya later", Leela called, unaffected by Eshe's comeback as the girl walked out the door; the smirk in her voice was obvious. Eshe paused to grunt under her breath, before closing the door to their apartment with a little more force than usual.

She brushed past the elevator with long, bitter strides - or at least as long as her short legs could carry her - and made her way purposefully towards the flights of stairs, prepared to descend the steps two at a time in order to reach the entrance hall of the building as quickly as she could. Atem was no doubt waiting at the bus stop by now, wondering where in the world she was and why she was taking so long.

As if on cue, the text alert of her phone went off and she awkwardly reached into her bag for it as she endeavoured not to stumble and fall; she expected to be greeted by a message from Atem asking where she was, but instead he'd texted her to inform her that he was standing outside her apartment building.

Eshe let out a soft 'oh' of curiosity, and sent him a message back, letting him know that she'd be out in a couple of minutes.

' _Funny_ ', she thought, ' _We'd agreed to meet at the bus station._ '

Perhaps he had simply gotten impatient and intended to meet her halfway, but thanks to the fact that she was so indecisive with her outfit, he'd made it all the way there by the time she was finally ready to leave.

Upon reaching the foyer, _finally_ , Eshe's face brightened at the sight of Atem standing outside the double-doors, observing his surroundings idly as he waited for her; she exited the building and he turned at the sound, his face immediately radiating with a wide smile.

And just like that, the sour mood Leela had put upon Eshe was lifted. Atem's smile was like a cure-all, a bringer of contentment and joy.

"Hey", Eshe greeted the boy breathlessly - partly from rushing down several flights of stairs and partly due to his beaming expression - and shyly squeezed him in a quick hug.

"Hello", he chuckled softly, returning the brief embrace before she pulled away to take in his appearance.

He'd gone with the eyeliner and earrings combo again, and it certainly was a pleasing sight; but this time his muscular arms were covered by a dark, navy-blue jacket hanging open over a plain white shirt, and slightly darker blue jeans.

His jacket sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his jeans weren't as tight as usual; on his feet he wore a stylish pair of dusty-brown suede shoes.

"You look good", Eshe stated after giving him a quick once-over, she smiled bashfully as he bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck humbly.

"You look beautiful", Atem responded, looking vaguely enthralled, and Eshe's pink cheeks turned a darker red as she silently commended her outfit choice.

She had been right to pick the violet short-sleeved blouse to go with her dark purple, flowing knee-length skirt; and the black high-heels she'd subconsciously picked out brought her up to his exact height.

Swallowing her coyness, she curiously asked him, "why did you walk all the way here? I thought we were going to meet at the bus stop."

He shrugged slightly, his eyes shifting to the pavement, "Umm, I just wanted to", he told her dismissively, though his sudden reluctance to meet her gaze told her there was at least another reason for his desire to escort her from her building.

"Oh", she spoke, raising an eyebrow slightly, before letting it go with a bright smile, "well, let's go before we miss the bus!"

Atem smiled, thankful she hadn't pressed the subject, and fell into step beside her.

Eshe shivered slightly at the breeze that licked against her bare arms; perhaps she should have had the basic common sense to take a glance out of her apartment window before choosing her outfit for the day. It was easy in retrospect to decide that she would've been better off with a jacket or even a cardigan in the slightly cooler temperature that afternoon. Instead of the usual bright blue sky she'd become accustomed to seeing the past few weeks, there was an overcast of white clouds above, and a peppering of intimidating darker grey clouds in the distance; she hoped they weren't headed towards them.

* * *

The melody emanating from the speakers within the dimly-lit room was soothing; gentle notes on a piano playing a soulful song that was cleverly reminiscent of the ocean. It reminded Eshe of the trip she took to the museum with the gang several weeks prior, in which she and Atem had entered the prehistoric marine-life exhibit and had enjoyed viewing the hideous ancient creatures of the seven seas.

The only difference was that the room they were in was far more colourful, decorated with murals of vivid corals and exotic fish; and the tanks were full of friendly looking sea-life instead of horrific monstrosities.

Eshe pressed her face close to the glass tank that contained a family of beautiful seahorses; her smile widening at the brilliant reds and yellows of the little creatures' bodies. They were gorgeous and mesmerising to watch, the way they moved through the water was fascinating and Eshe was sure she could watch them all day.

"Did you know seahorses are one of the few animals in the entire world where the male is the one that gets pregnant?" she spoke absentmindedly as she observed the beautiful creatures.

To her left, she saw Atem turn to face her with an incredulous, yet amused expression on his face, "Is that so?"

Eshe grinned as she took her eyes off of the tank to nod in confirmation, "It is! I'm not joking", though the thread of giggles that followed did nothing to help convince Atem of her truthfulness. He watched her with a questioning eyebrow, a crooked smirk on his face as he mulled over whether or not her fun fact was legitimate.

"I am telling the truth, I swear. I bet it even says so on one of these panels-" she moved to examine the information panels surrounding the tank, desperate to prove herself right, but Atem stopped her with his rich laughter.

"I believe you", he assured her, "you always have interesting facts to share, it seems."

Eshe smiled, returning to eye up the inhabitants of the tank, "I pick up the most random, insignificant facts but I can never remember anything that's _actually_ important."

Atem watched her face closely for a while, and she glanced over at him when it became apparent he wasn't going to say anything more, "Is everything okay?" she asked, noting the thoughtful knit in his eyebrows.

His eyes softened when he realised she was facing him, and he gave a small smile, "Everything is fine."

The searching gaze of her eyes lingered for a moment before he diverted his attention down the room a bit more, motioning with an incline of his head, "what's down there?"

Eshe turned, successfully distracted, and examined the opposite side of the room where a tassel door obstructed the view into the next room. The sign above the archway read ' _Shipwreck Tunnel_ ' in fanciful lettering.

"Why don't we find out?" Eshe responded coyly, shooting the boy a smirk; he seemed enthusiastic to continue their way through the atmospheric ocean-zoo.

They entered through the tassel door almost hesitantly, stepping into a dark channel that curved around a corner - from which a faint bluish glow arose. Eshe glanced at Atem curiously in the darkness as they strode silently towards the source of the light; his eyes looked magnificent, shining with the reflection of the glimmer, and she blindly reached out for his hand.

She wanted to tell herself it was because she was nervous about tripping up in the dull light and needed to hold onto him to avoid stumbling, but that would be a lie; the way he glanced down at his captured hand and then up to Eshe with a delighted smile set her heart aflutter.

His hand tightened around hers pleasantly and she squeezed it in return, relishing the warmth of his palm; and as they rounded the corner of the tunnel Atem let out an audible gasp at the sight of the path ahead.

It was a tunnel with a curved glass ceiling, ripples of light refracting through water moved across the floor, and beyond the glass swam many different species of marine life. It was stunning, and the expression of wonderment on Atem's face was splendid; his wide-eyed stare of childlike admiration filled Eshe with adoration.

"Wow", he breathed, his eyes trailing after the schools of brightly scaled fish swimming at a steady pace down the length of the tunnel.

They moved wordlessly down the relatively vacant pathway, still clutching each other's hand, watching the oceanic animals around them with awe; a lazy, large turtle floated contently above them, ignoring their presence on the other side of the glass.

"I'd love to hear more _insignificant_ facts about anything in here, if you have them", Atem spoke nonchalantly, his gaze staring pointedly above.

Eshe smiled, taking a moment to search her mind for any information she might be able to share, "Well, turtles have existed for roughly 215 million years", she said, casually.

Atem hummed in acknowledgement, nodding his head slightly, and Eshe spoke again as a huge manta ray drifted leisurely by.

"Relative to it's body size, manta rays have the largest brain of all known species of fish", Eshe intoned her voice to sound matter-of-factly, and Atem scratched his chin with his free hand, his eyes shifting to each animal above.

"Fascinating…"

Eshe grinned widely, though her beaming expression sank into one of trepidation as a huge shark slid over their heads intimidatingly.

"Aaaand there's the shark", there was a slight tremble in her voice as she stared into the beady black eyes of the animal, her hand tightening around Atem's.

The boy was not bothered by it's size, nor did he seem creeped out by its aggressive appearance; in fact, Atem dawdled behind it with interest as it moved along the length of the tunnel closer towards the end of the exit.

Eshe let out a gentle snort of amusement at how 'oooh' and 'aaah' Atem was acting, and let herself be led down the path; she hadn't noticed when more people had entered the channel.

She stepped out of the way of a man who walked towards them, and accidentally knocked into an elderly woman who was standing just behind her.

"Sorry", Eshe mumbled embarrassedly at having collided with someone, an itch of discomfort in her chest at the suddenly cramped surroundings of the tunnel.

They'd reached the centre of the tunnel, and Eshe stepped closer to Atem to avoid crashing into anyone else, but a group of rowdy kids enthusiastically rushed past her from behind, clipping her arm in the process. One of them called back a half-assed apology and Eshe grit her teeth, glancing around as people blocked the direct line to the exit.

 _Just keep moving, you'll be okay. Just keep moving._

Atem stopped as he noticed her stiff behaviour and glanced at her curiously, "Eshe, are you alright?" Eshe might have found the concern in his voice more appreciated if he hadn't stopped in his movements to ask her; the sudden realisation of how trapped she felt in the enclosed tunnel crept up on her quickly and she felt uncomfortably hot as her panic rose.

She abruptly pushed her way past him, releasing his hand, and ignored the way he called out to her with worry; she shoved through the rest of the crowds unapologetically with one objective in mind - to get the hell out of there.

Exiting through the opposite tassel door in a rush, Eshe breathed hard to calm herself, leaning a hand against the wall as the other shielded her face from potentially nosy on-lookers.

"Eshe", Atem was behind her immediately, resting a heedful hand on her shoulder, "what happened? Are you okay?"

Taking another deep breath, Eshe blinked away the tears that had sprung to her eyes and nodded slightly, thankful that the temperature in the wider room was lower - it was soothing against her heated skin.

"Sorry", she choked out, "it got too cramped in there… I'm not good with tight spaces."

Atem frowned briefly, before a spark of recollection appeared in his eyes and his lips parted, "Oh! I see. We can… go outside if you want?"

Eshe shook her head, biting her lip to hide a bitter smile, "I'll be fine in a minute, just give me a moment."

Atem's hand brushed on her shoulder to rest lightly on her back, a welcomed comfort, and Eshe quickly rubbed her eyes before smiling apologetically at him, "I'm sorry I pushed you."

"You don't have to apologise", Atem assured her, a heartening smile on his face, "I understand you were scared."

Searching his face, Eshe nodded, once again finding his wording choice admirable, it was as if Atem knew exactly what to say to make her feel better, and his smile continued to enliven her spirits with little effort.

It was a few more minutes before Eshe's nerves had calmed, she gladfully took Atem's outstretched hand again and they made their way towards ' _Jellyfish Cove_ '.

The room was initially darker than the tunnel, but stepping into the room of Jellyfish greeted her with one of the most dazzling sights yet in the Domino Ocean Life Aquarium. There were hollow glass cylinders standing vertically throughout the room, connected to the ceiling, with metal casing at the top and bottom. Each one was filled with water, and the jellyfish undulated delicately within, illuminated by pink, purple and red LED lights within the uniquely shaped tanks.

Eshe let out a stunned sigh, speechless at the breathtaking sight; she stepped carefully around a tank, looking through it at the creatures that moved with hypnotising motions. Atem stood adjacent, eyeing the jellyfish with dazed interest.

"They're beautiful", Eshe murmured, and Atem's eyes shifted from the jellyfish to her face through the glass. Her eyes were wide, reflecting the warm, colourful light, and her lips were parted in amazement; Atem felt himself swallow.

"Yes", he whispered in agreement, "beautiful."

* * *

The coffee house-restaurant sitting adjacent to the sea-life building, by the quaint little name of _Terrace Cafe_ , offered an alluring respite following their exploration of the aquarium. The dark clouds had slowly moved in and were close to lurking directly above their heads; Eshe was thankful the open Terrace Cafe had white tents shielding the small dining tables - at least they wouldn't get wet if it did start raining.

Eshe blinked her tired eyes as she rested her cheek in her palm, watching the flickering string lights hanging above with a sigh of contentment. The day was rolling on a bit, and Eshe was beginning to feel rather sleepy due to the mix of the grim whether overheard giving the illusion of impending darkness, and the fact that she'd awoken relatively early that morning following her dream, and hadn't been able to get back to sleep.

There was no longer a chill to the breeze, the air around them was the perfect temperature, slightly humid, and Eshe sat opposite Atem in the elegant, cushioned white dining chairs with a soft smile on her face as they ate dinner.

Eshe had gone for the healthiest option on the menu again, determined to improve her eating habits for the sake of her mental health, and had chosen the rigatoni pasta with lemon zest and asparagus. It was a step up from tasteless salad, that was for sure, and she actually enjoyed eating her dish. Atem had indulged in a steak with chips and watercress, and as tempting as it had been to steal a fry off of his plate while he wasn't looking, Eshe had managed to resist.

They fell into comfortable silence while they ate, appeased to listen to the ambient noise of chatter and distant car engines.

Utterly placated by the wonderful day she'd had, Eshe sipped her glass of water and gave a soft sigh, overjoyed by the simple, mollifying events of their date. What a wonderful idea it had been, to visit an aquarium - she'd spent a lot of time watching Atem's wondrous expressions as he viewed the delicate sea creatures with interest, and it had been _perfect_. She was entirely sure she had caught him staring at her a few times as well, to her delight.

"Once again, I had a wonderful time with you today, Atem", she told him with candor, and Atem smiled fondly at her.

"As did I", he responded, "I… really enjoy spending time with you, Eshe."

Eshe felt her heart flutter at his proclamation and she idly played with her hair as a coy look reached her face, "So do I…"

The moment was broken by a series of girlish titters coming from another table across the terrace; Eshe's eyes drifted with dismay towards a group of three girls sitting a few tables behind Atem and to the right. The occupants of the other table were staring at them with giggly smirks on their faces and Eshe felt a swell of self-consciousness inside her chest.

Being laughed at by strangers was definitely high up on the anxiety-inducing list, and Eshe timidly brushed her hand through her hair to straighten out the messy locks that had become wild in the humidity of the evening.

"Go on, Zoey", one of the girls exclaimed in a hushed tone, amusement curling in her voice.

Another girl, who Eshe assumed to be Zoey, rose to her feet and began to step tentatively towards them.

 _Uh oh._

Clamping her mouth shut, lips in a thin line, Eshe regarded her with a neutral look as she sidled up beside Atem, a sly smile on the girl's face.

Zoey came to a stop, resting her hands on the table, leaning over slightly in a posture that embodied bold confidence. She was a gorgeous girl, black hair fell in waves over her shoulders, a few ringlets framing her pretty face; her dark skin seemed flawless and her makeup was expertly applied. She batted her eyelashes at Atem and a lump rose in Eshe's throat at the nerve of this girl.

Atem looked up with a raised eyebrow, finally noticing the presence of someone else and understanding Eshe's scrutinising stare.

"Hiya, handsome", Zoey's flirtatious tone made Eshe feel sick.

Instead of responding, Atem remained silent, staring up at the girl expectantly as if waiting for her to explain why exactly she'd come over to interrupt what was _obviously_ a successful date-in-progress.

Zoey visibly swallowed at his intense gaze, and Eshe felt a bubble of victory upon catching the momentary lapse in the girl's determination.

"I'm Zoey, what's your name?" the girl continued, ignoring the hardened look Eshe was giving her; Zoey's intentions were clear and it added to Eshe's swiftly growing frustration.

What Eshe really wanted right now was to stand up to her full - not so intimidating - height, and tell this girl to _GET LOST._ Unfortunately, she was not so confident in her ability to do so without her voice wavering pathetically, so she simply watched in anger.

"Atem", the boy answered with disinterest, eyes slightly narrowed on Zoey's face.

" _Ohh_ ~ Atem, sounds Egyptian", she spoke, and Eshe resisted the sudden desire to roll her eyes.

"It is."

Eshe wanted to applaud Atem for his ability to keep a steady, spiritless tone of voice as he responded to the girl, his neutral, cold expression unchanging.

 _Yeah, so take that_ , Eshe wanted to snap.

Zoey cleared her throat, her eyes shifting somewhat nervously at Atem's continuously aloof demeanour, "Well, um, Atem. My friends and I were wondering if you'd like to join us for the rest of the evening?"

There was a suggestive lilt in her voice, and she tilted her head to what she believed was her most attractive angle, awaiting Atem's response.

"No."

A beat of silence, and then Zoey blinked a few times rapidly, "Excuse me?"

Atem frowned, raising a challenging eyebrow at her self-entitled tone, but before he could open his mouth again, the girl began to laugh nervously.

"Oh come on, a handsome guy like you and a pretty girl like me? We could have loads of fun togeth-"

"I said no."

Zoey's mouth clamped shut as Atem spoke over her to reiterate his statement, his voice a touch louder and more pressuring, and Eshe bit her lip to cloak her amusement at the shock in the girl's eyes.

She stood before Atem for a few more moments, her mouth opening and closing like a confused fish, before it snapped shut and she turned on her foot with a dramatic _hmph!_

Cupping her mouth in her hand, Eshe restrained the snort of amusement that was threatening to make itself known; the satisfaction at seeing the zealous girl being put in her place after trying to steal her guy felt undeniably pleasant.

Eshe could hear as the girl returned to her friends that Zoey was snarling something about Atem being horribly rude, and she gave the girls a drawling look as if to say _I'm sorry, WHO exactly is the rude one?_

Atem didn't appear to care too much about the grumbling curses coming from the table behind, and instead reached out to take Eshe's hand, a fine smile growing on his face, and inquired softly, "Would you like to go now?"

 _Gladly._

* * *

The couple took the bus back to the station nearest to Eshe's apartment building and began walking at a slightly accelerated pace, fingers intertwined, as they endeavoured to return back before the rain caught up with them. The dark grey clouds loomed directly above them now, and Eshe could smell the imminent arrival of rainfall, a dusty, earthen scent that was not entirely unpleasant, but the thought of getting wet was enough to put an urgent bounce in her step.

Despite the rapidly cooling atmosphere, Atem's warm hand encircling her own left her buzzing with heat in a most jovial way, and her thumb rubbed the back of his hand, grateful for the innocent skin contact it provided.

Eshe's hand tightened on his the moment she felt eyes on her back, the nerve-wracking feeling of a fizzling vibration running through the air told her to turn around and observe, and she did so abruptly. Her eyes scanned the street behind them.

 _The very empty street._

"Eshe?" Atem stopped too, his eyes shifting from her to the direction she was gazing with narrowed, cautious eyes.

"Nothing, it- I thought someone was following…" Eshe trailed off, shaking her head slightly, casting once last glance down the street before turning back around.

Eshe looked up curiously as Atem tensed, and he immediately pulled her closer, his arm around her waist with his hand on her hip; he gently pressed against her back, encouraging her to keep moving.

She flushed slightly, the physical weight of his arm tight around her offered a calming sense of security, for which she was thankful, but the closeness made her shiver pleasurably, bringing redness to her cheeks.

Having forgotten about the odd feeling of someone following them, Eshe continued at the quickened pace Atem was pushing, allowing herself to be led around the corner towards her apartment building. Raindrops began to fall as reached the entrance, and they narrowly missed a sudden downpour as the clouds above burst.

Shyly, Eshe glanced up at Atem as they stared out at the violent deluge, "Do you, uh, wanna come up to my apartment until the rain stops?"

Atem regarded her with a small, uncertain smile, "I don't know if Leela would like that", he murmured with a spark of amusement.

Eshe snickered, "Well, maybe not, but I'd feel better if you didn't have to walk home in the rain. Oh- unless you want me to give you a lift?"

"I wouldn't want to be a bother", Atem spoke.

"Don't be silly, I don't mind driving you."

"It's not necessary, I don't want you to drive back alone", he admitted, and Eshe quirked her head slightly.

"Uhh, okay", Eshe murmured, he didn't offer an explanation for his concern, "well... come up and stay a little while?"

Atem gave the double doors to the rainy barrage one last glance and then smiled, "Alright."

Eshe smiled contentedly, taking his hand once more to lead him up the several flights of stairs to her shared apartment. She knocked on her door five flights up, realising with a start that she'd left her door key on her desk in her rush to leave earlier, and turned to give Atem a reassuring smile.

The door swung open, and Atem jerked back in surprise, a quiet _whoa_ leaving his mouth, and Eshe blinked in surprise at Leela's amusing appearance.

The girl had her hair contained in a towel wrapped over her head, and her face was covered in a cleansing green lotion-mask, giving the girl a rather frightening appearance. _No wonder Atem was startled._

Eshe snorted slightly- it was a good thing that Leela was dressed instead of wrapped in a towel, or it could've been a far more awkward meeting.

"The _hell_ is he doing here?" Leela drawled, eyes narrowed on Atem's face. The boy in question blinked the astonished look from his face and frowned slightly at Leela's discourteous regard.

Eshe gave her friend a scowl, "I invited him in for a bit", she spoke, and Atem's eyes shifted awkwardly between the two of them.

Leela caught a quiet growl in her throat, turning to head back into the apartment and pluck her eyebrows as it appeared she had been part-way through doing before the knock sounded.

Eshe led Atem into the room, shutting the door behind them, and the boy stood stiffly, his eyes trying not to flicker towards the interesting product on Leela's face.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" Eshe asked, and Atem shook his head slightly.

"Uhm, maybe just a glass of water."

"You know", Leela spoke up sarcastically, "there's _plenty_ of water outside…"

Eshe didn't entertain her friend's response, instead electing to ignore it with an exasperated sigh to let the other girl know her snarky comments were unwelcome.

"Actually, perhaps I should go…" Atem murmured, rubbing the back of his neck in an uncomfortable gesture.

"What? No, don't-"

"Ugh, yes, _please_ do", Leela snapped, earning a murderous expression from the other girl.

"You don't have to go, Atem. It's still raining outside", Eshe gave him a pleading expression, knowing Leela certainly wasn't helping to make the boy's company feel desired.

"I don't think Leela wants me here", Atem spoke with a tone of resignation, and an apologetic smile in Eshe's direction. He took a step back towards the door. His mind, it seemed, was already made up.

Eshe wanted to curse Leela out, but at the risk of seeming inelegant and bringing Atem more discomfort, she simply sighed and nodded ever so slightly, a sadness overcoming her.

"I have an umbrella you can borrow", Eshe mumbled, flashing Leela a sour look as she passed by her to grab the umbrella hanging from a rack.

She handed Atem the umbrella, a pang of regret in her eyes at insisting he come inside in the first place, and opened the front door, stepping out with him into the hallway.

"I'm so sorry, that didn't go as I hoped", Eshe whispered remorsefully, a slight quiver to her lips. Atem shook his head, giving the girl an assuring smile.

"Don't worry, I still had a wonderful day", he told her, his hand curling around her's to raise it to his lips, giving her his seemingly signature back-of-the-hand kiss.

Eshe blushed, a soft smile overcoming her bitterness, "Shall I walk you down?"

"No need, I'll take the elevator. That's quite a lot of stairs to climb", he gave a soft chuckle, and Eshe snorted.

"Ya get used to it… kinda."

Atem's small smile remained as his eyes lingered on her face, and for a split second, Eshe thought he might lean in and kiss her; her heartbeat pumped furiously in her ears while that remained a possibility, but eventually he nodded and turned to press the button to call the lift.

"I'll see you soon?" he spoke gently, and Eshe nodded.

"Absolutely", she gave him a wink, and Atem's smile grew; the elevator arrived and the doors opened, Atem stepped in and hit the button for the bottom floor, throwing Eshe a quick wave before the doors shut.

Once the elevator began its descent, Eshe turned swiftly on the spot to re-enter her apartment with a scathing air about her; she slammed the door shut behind her and sent Leela a vehement glare through the mirror.

"You're a real _bitch_ , Leela", Eshe spat, not bothering to contain her severe distaste for the girl in front of her. She didn't miss the flash of hurt that passed over Leela's face, and she certainly didn't give her even a second to respond, stomping off abruptly down the hallway and into her room.

Eshe's initial reaction was to slump on her bed and scream into her pillow with perpetual frustration at her friend's inexcusable behaviour. That girl loved to push her limits, and once again she had crossed a line.

Leela could be an absolute menace.

* * *

 **Notes: I really hope you enjoyed this long chapter! ;) I'd love to hear if you liked this chapter, just drop me a review! :) Even if it's just a swift "YESSS", I'm here for it.**


	15. I'm Waking Up To Ash And Dust

Transcending Time

Chapter Fourteen: I'm Waking Up To Ash And Dust

Eshe did not recall a time when she felt so angry at Leela. The girl had constantly been a positive force in her life, always pushing her to the best of her ability, giving her encouragement and reassurance, looking after her when she was hurt physically or emotionally - sure, they'd fought a few times as all close friends do, but Leela had invariably had good reasons to disagree with or be angry with Eshe.

Her current behaviour was just plain irrational.

There was no excuse, no explanation to justify Leela's rude attitude towards the seemingly perfect ray of sunshine that was Atem. He had done nothing to deserve the abhorrent backlash Leela had reigned down upon him; Atem had done _nothing_ to Leela, and he'd only come across as wonderfully considerate. There wasn't an ounce of corruption in the boy, not one speck of malevolence, yet Leela insisted on acting like a total shrew around him.

Clearly, Leela was the one with the issue here. Not Eshe, and certainly not Atem.

While Leela had learnt a great deal from Eshe on the subject of body language, the girl always had issues elaborating on what she picked up in observations - she could tell when someone was uncomfortable, but she couldn't deduce why; Leela could recognise when someone was trying to restrain anger, but she couldn't make the connection to why they were angry and _why_ they were trying to hide it. She was by no means stupid, Leela just lacked the ability to distinguish the cause of certain emotions in relation to the situation of an individual.

From what Eshe had read up on human psychology in her life, she could easily recognise the apparent sociopathic tendencies in her friend's words and actions, but up until now they hadn't caused such a prominent complication in her personal life.

Leela's main problem was that she could recognise unusual behaviour in the way Atem held himself, but she couldn't distinguish the reasons why, or entertain the idea that it might be due to completely rational, private circumstances of which he had no intention of delving into.

With this logic, Leela refused to trust the boy.

She saw everything as either black or white, there was no grey area - people were either pure, honest and kind, or they were evil, deceptive and destructive.

In Leela's mind, there was no way a good person could be secretive, because if they had secrets, then they were dishonest, and if they were dishonest, then they _must_ be harbouring ill and toxic thoughts toward the people around them.

What a load of _bullshit_.

Overcome with frustration, embarrassment and anger, Eshe sulked in her bedroom for the remainder of the night, only leaving her room quickly and briefly to use the bathroom and get ready for bed. Her stomach rumbled with the desire for a late evening snack, but Eshe could hear that Leela was watching tv in the main room - and the main room stood between Eshe and the kitchen, so obviously she'd have to forego any food until the following morning.

With her thoughts reeling endlessly, Eshe clenched her shaky hands into fists and crossed her arms as she sat in her desk chair; her jaw was stiff, her mouth was dry and her muscles were tense while she remained passively in her room, trying to burn off some steam in isolation.

She wanted desperately to get out there and scream in Leela's face, but Eshe refused the thought of confrontation at that moment - she was too worked up, and if she attempted to admonish Leela for her actions, it would quickly bring forth a flood of her own tears; not just that, but Eshe she was sure she would come across as inarticulate and ending up a stuttering mess - unideal for someone trying to make a point.

Deciding she would give Leela the silent treatment until the girl redeemed herself from her appalling actions, Eshe flopped down into her bed and tightly shut her eyes, inviting the coveted veil of sleep into her mind.

* * *

" _Agh, careful Dalila", Eshe grumbled as her hair was tugged and pulled taut while the other girl expertly braided it. They stood before the vanity in Eshe's and Atem's shared bedroom; Dalila endeavouring to prepare the princess for the upcoming lunch she was required to attend. Many nobles from surrounding countries were going to be present, and Eshe had to look her best and brightest in order to make a good impression._

" _Oh, don't be such a baby, princess", the sandy-haired girl giggled, "Your hair is braided every day, you should be used to it by now."_

" _Yes, and the maids make a point of being a lot gentler", the princess retaliated._

 _Dalila snorted, giving the princess's silky hair another playful tug, "That's because they're afraid if they do it as it should be done, you'll throw them into a cell for misconduct."_

 _Eshe let out a yelp at Dalila's coarse treatment of her hair, before a worried look settled on her face, "What? I would never! Is that actually what they think of me?"_

 _Dalila rolled her eyes and let an amused smirk crawl onto her face, her mischievous lips curling upwards in her jest, "No, of course not, Eshe. I was just kidding. The maids think you're a divine blessing and they've never been treated better."_

 _Eshe gave a soft sigh of relief; she would hate to think her maids and servants felt threatened in delivering their services, "Good… now stop being so harsh, you're going to give me a headache!"_

 _Dalila grinned, twisting delicate fingers around delicate strands, creating a flawless braid with no stray hairs in sight._

" _There. You look wonderful!" Dalila proclaimed almost smugly, pleased with her handiwork._

 _Eshe shook her head lightly, letting the braid fall perfectly down her back; she turned and smiled at her close friend, "Although you are rough in your workmanship, I cannot deny you are highly skilled in your craft. Therefore I will not throw you in a cell for misconduct", her tone was playful and impossible to take seriously with the growing grin on her face._

 _Dalila threw her head back as she laughed, giving a curt bow to her friend, "Why, thank you, my princess, you are most benevolent."_

 _The two girls snickered in sync, before Eshe reached up and took her friend into an amiable hug, which was readily reciprocated by the other girl. "Really, Dalila, thank you for your help."_

" _Anytime, Eshe."_

 _They broke apart as the door to the quarters was opened by one of the guards posted outside, and the young Prince Atem walked into the room, a mask of elegant confidence on his handsome face. He glanced at Dalila first, and she quickly bowed her head in respect, before his eyes shifted to his wife, and a bright smile graced his features._

" _Eshe, I have something I wish to discuss with you", he spoke imposingly and his eyes landed on Dalila once again, "... Dalila", it took him a moment to recall her name, "would you leave us alone for a while, please?"_

 _Dalila bowed to him, "Yes, of course, my prince", she sent Eshe a quick smile and ushered herself out of the room, the door closing firmly behind her._

 _As the door closed, Atem let out a sigh, his regal expression slipping away into one of tiredness; his shoulders slumped and his head hung low as he reached for the winged golden crown upon his head and tactfully removed it._

 _Eshe smiled sympathetically, recognising the exhaustion in his movements and expression; she knew he'd been working very hard lately, really beginning to take his role as the future King of Egypt seriously. He had been balancing studies and swordsmanship while he strived to attend every council meeting and royal gathering he possibly could, and it was certainly beginning to take it's toll on the prince._

 _He sat on the edge of their bed, placed his crown beside him onto the soft sheets, and rubbed his aching neck, fingers digging into the twinging muscles as a sigh of pain left his lips._

" _This crown is getting heavier."_

 _Eshe gave a soft exhale of amusement, gracefully sliding down to sit on the opposite side of the bed while Atem let himself fall back against the sheets; Eshe leaned over her husband and gently brushed her hand into his somewhat disheveled hair._

" _What was it you wanted to discuss with me, my love?" Eshe asked coyly, massaging his scalp with her temperate fingers._

 _Atem smiled as he sighed again, biting his lip impishly, "Actually, nothing. I just wanted to be alone with you."_

 _Eshe raised an eyebrow, "Oh, how dishonest of you…"_

" _Forgive me?" Atem chuckled, his eyelids drooping lazily under Eshe's pleasant ministrations._

 _The princess grinned teasingly, "Dishonesty is the first step to disloyalty…"_

 _Atem's gaze hardened ever-so-slightly, his exhausted eyes growing sharper, and he grabbed the hand Eshe was running through his hair to bring it to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly, "I would never be disloyal to you."_

 _The fervent seriousness of his tone sounded almost reprimanding, as if incredulous that she would imply such a thing even humorously. At first Eshe thought Atem might not have picked up on her jesting tone, but she knew better and quickly assumed he wasn't in a particularly jokey mood at that moment. The stress of his responsibilities were clearly weighing heavily on his shoulders, more so than his golden crown, and the boy had barely had a moment alone with Eshe, let alone himself, in the two weeks since they had become husband and wife._

" _I know, Atem", Eshe reassured him, leaning down to kiss his forehead, "and I couldn't imagine going through time with anyone other than you."_

 _Atem's gaze softened and he blinked tiredly, his tense expression once again relaxing into a smile; Eshe quickly scooped him up into an embrace that he steadily returned in his powerful arms._

" _You know, it's going to be even harder when you become Pharaoh", Eshe giggled, and Atem let out a comical whine._

" _I know, I know."_

" _But that probably won't be for a while yet, so enjoy your free time while you can", Eshe nuzzled her face into his neck, inhaling his delightful scent; Atem hummed softly, content and smiling._

" _You'll be the greatest Pharaoh this kingdom has ever known", Eshe told him matter-of-factly, and then her tone grew stern, "which means no slacking on the throne, ever. You'll rise up early every morning and fulfil all your duties, you'll address all your subjects with a grandiose presence, perfect posture, and a magnificent voice."_

 _Atem's shoulders were shaking with silent mirth, "... and you'll be my queen."_

" _And we'll rule together for many, many years, making sure Egypt is plentiful and prosperous."_

 _The prince opened his mouth to carry on their hopeful fantasy, but Eshe leaned down to capture his lips before he could get a word out. Atem smiled into the kiss, his hand snaking up to tenderly cup Eshe's face; he caressed her cheek softly with his thumb - an affectionate gesture to accompany the strong devotion the two of them shared._

 _When Eshe pulled away, Atem made a noise of protest and immediately pushed himself up to chase her lips; she giggled as he wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over, swapping positions so that he was knelt above her. Wordlessly, he kissed her again, a tad more passionately than before._

 _There was a knock at the door, abruptly startling the two apart._

" _My prince, may I come in?"_

" _Uh- just a moment!" Atem called out, his voice once again taking on a commanding tone fit for a future king, save for the almost imperceptible waver, as he jumped up to make himself look presentable- almost mistakenly inviting Mahad into the room before returning his crown to its rightful place upon his head._

 _Eshe stood, quickly rushing around the bed to straighten out any stray hairs on Atem's head, brushing it with her deft fingers into its usual spiky appearance; she couldn't hide the grin at his flushed cheeks and his lips, implicitly shiny._

 _Atem hesitated for a moment longer, regarding his beloved wife with a grateful look, "Thank you, Eshe", he whispered, and Eshe knew he wasn't referring to the quick work she made of his hair- instead he was wording his appreciation for the encouragement she had provided._

" _Mahad, you may enter."_

 _The door flung open, revealing the talented magician, an air of panic about him as he stepped into the room. He bowed respectfully, and then frowned, "I'm here to escort you to the banquet hall, are you both ready to dine with the nobles?"_

" _Of course!" Atem exclaimed._

" _Absolutely!" Eshe agreed with bubbly enthusiasm._

 _Mahad eyed the two suspiciously, the faintest hint of a smirk pulling at his lips, "I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"_

" _No!" the two young royals spoke perhaps a little too quickly._

 _There was a beat of silence, Eshe could tell Mahad wasn't entirely convinced, "Good, because you know the importance of this event, and you both need to look your best, and be prepared to answer any questions with certainty and…"_

 _Mahad's little speech continued as the two followed the magician out of the room, and his slightly scolding tone drowned out as Eshe and Atem each shared a skittish smile._

* * *

Eshe awoke slowly the next morning, a pleasant warmth rising on her cheeks as the recollection of her dream drifted through to the forefront of her mind; a relaxing feeling encompassed her entire body, a stark contrast to the way she had been feeling when she went to bed the previous night.

If Atem kissed anything like his dream counterpart, then Eshe found herself desperately hoping that next time they were together, the boy would pick up on her desire to have him firmly plant his lips on hers.

Eshe rubbed her cheek against her wonderfully cushioned pillow, revelling in the comfort of her bed while she could, knowing it was inevitable that she'd have to face Leela eventually.

The only thing that could improve Eshe's coziness was if her ears had been greeted, upon her awakening, to the sweet melody of birds singing to the sight of the rising sun.

Although living with her aunt and uncle in California had been quite tough for most of her young life, Eshe couldn't deny that she missed living in a house surrounded by nature as opposed to an apartment building five floors up. Unfortunately, houses in woodlands were a little more expensive than relatively small apartments, and while Eshe had inherited a sizeable amount of money from her departed parents, it was nowhere near enough to support herself in a home so far away from the city.

Every morning in her aunt and uncle's dwelling, the quiet chirruping had gently woken her up; now there was the ambient noise of distant, early-morning traffic.

 _Honking horns, screeching tires._

Eshe missed the singing birds dearly.

The feathery little winged creatures did not have the tendency to hang about at the altitude of her apartment floor for too long, Eshe had long-sing been denied the beautiful music, the _Dawn Chorus_ , of songbirds.

Her reminiscing brought back a pure memory from her childhood; she had been six years old when she'd first become aware of the affinity she seemed to possess with birds. It had been just like any other morning - her aunt had called for her to get out of bed and ready for elementary school.

Eshe recalled quite clearly that her mind had been troubled that morning, bothered by the poking nightmares in the back of her mind; her aunt had simply told her, for perhaps the thousandth time, _your nightmares are harmless, now get dressed and eat your breakfast._

The day had been bright; the first half of the walk to school had been extremely uneventful given the fact that Eshe's aunt rarely held conversations with her. Eshe tried to talk to her, of course, but she was greeted with curt and aloof responses.

It never took a genius for Eshe to figure out that her aunt preferred silence; especially given the way the woman brushed off her questions and ruffled at her childish comments. Eshe's mood had suffered because of it.

Whenever Eshe lagged behind, her aunt delivered a sharp tug of her arm to remind her to get a move on; her short legs resulted in a struggle to keep up the pace of the woman. Eshe had made the mistake of whining, and her aunt had snapped at her, startling her into silence.

The caw of a crow had sounded a few minutes later, and had captured Eshe's attention; she'd spotted it, perched on the top of a road-sign ahead. It watched her with one beady black eye, ruffling its feathers slightly as they walked closer; it cawed again as they passed by it, and had flown swiftly past them, landing on a picket fence.

It followed Eshe and her aunt all the way to school- actually, rather, it lead the way, determined to stay ahead of the two humans. Perhaps it had thought they were all playing a game of chase? Regardless, the playful crow had offered her a brief positive distraction in her misery.

When Eshe had reached the school, she watched the crow beat its wings to rise up and perch on the edge of the roof.

It had still been at the end of the day, waiting for Eshe to finish school so it could follow her back home.

She'd felt compelled to nickname the crow, and her oh-so-creative six year old mind had intelligently come up with the name _Caw_.

Caw followed Eshe for days; the pretty black-feathered bird was always there when she left the house, and occasionally pecked at her bedroom window whenever she was in there alone. In her thanks, Eshe spoke to the bird and would often sneak breadcrumbs up to her room after dinner to feed to the crow when it perched on the outside of her window sill.

One day, Caw left something outside her bedroom window.

It was a blue hairclip.

Shiny and metallic, it was, and Eshe placed the hairclip in a little decorative bowl she kept on her window sill. A gift from a crow - not many people could claim to have received a present from a bird, but her collection steadily grew the more she fed the bird. Caw brought her all sorts of shiny, interesting, small objects; the bowl on her window sill was proof of that.

Eventually, Caw stopped visiting her. Eshe didn't know whether the bird had simply moved on to bigger things, or if it had passed away; the average lifespan of crows rarely exceeded ten years and the young girl had no idea how old it had been when they met. Eshe had kept the bowl of treasured knick-knacks as a way to remember the pretty bird she had befriended.

She'd returned home one Friday to find the bowl of trinkets gone; her uncle had thrown the lot away, asking why she had collected a handful of dirty, useless oddities in the first place.

Eshe closed her eyes at the rising ache in her chest, clutching her bed-sheets tightly, as she remembered how long she had _cried, sobbed and wailed_ in grief. Her tearful fit had been what eventually pushed her aunt and uncle into taking her to see a therapist; the nightmares paired with the mood swings became too much for them to handle, and thus, they'd paid someone else to figure out what was wrong with Eshe.

With a grunt of irritation, Eshe rolled onto her side and huffed against her pillow; she was glad to be away from her inattentive ex-guardians, and she wouldn't let thoughts of them spoil her mood further.

Her eyes flickered to her wall clock, taking note that it was almost ten o'clock, and Eshe reached out with her ears, listening for Leela's soft footsteps on carpet, the sound of the shower running, or the muffled voices coming from the television.

Only silence greeted her.

Eshe rolled out of bed and pressed her feet into the fuzzy carpet of her bedroom floor; she swiped her phone off of the bedside table and opened up her messages.

' _So sorry again for what happened last night…_ ' Eshe sent the message to Atem, hoping the boy really was still interested in seeing her.

She didn't get a reply straight away, figuring Atem might probably still be in bed. It was a Sunday, after all.

It took Eshe almost ten minutes to work up the courage to step out of her bedroom that morning, but what she didn't expect to find was a completely empty apartment; Leela didn't work on Sundays, so where the heck was the girl?

Leela's bedroom door was wide open, indicating that the girl most definitely wasn't inside; she always kept her door closed when the room was occupied, and Eshe knew better than to wander into the room when the other girl wasn't home.

Her roommate's handbag, shoes, and key to the apartment were all missing too, from which Eshe could only deduce that the girl had perhaps gone to visit a friend or head to the shops; perhaps it was for the better, since Eshe didn't entirely feel up to facing Leela quite yet.

After getting dressed and presentable, Eshe consumed a granola bar and spread herself out across the length of the couch, emitting an agitated sigh.

Why couldn't Leela be more like her dream-counterpart, Dalila? The girl's doppleganger in her mind embodied everything she wished Leela could be: a respectful and supportive friend who took her feelings and wishes into account.

Deciding she needed some fresh air, Eshe swung her legs over the edge of the couch and pushed herself up quickly, pausing as a faint lightheadedness momentarily overcame her. She blinked away the black fuzziness around her vision and slipped on her trainers, ready for some fresh air.

* * *

Stepping out into the pleasant temperature under the clear sky that morning yielded quite a treat for Eshe; the ground was still damp from the aggressive rainfall that had lasted most of the night, and the crisp, calming petrichor scent filled the air, clearing Eshe's head and bringing her a welcomed sense of tranquility. The gorgeous smell of drying moisture still sinking into the cracks of the pavements always seemed to be a cure-all for Eshe's rampant train of thought.

Oh yes, an early walk on a Sunday morning the day after a violent precipitation was _exactly_ what she needed.

Her phone buzzed, alerting her to a response from Atem.

' _You have nothing to apologise for. Whatever Leela's problem is with me, it doesn't have any impact on the way I feel about you_.'

 _The way I feel about you_.

Eshe's heart fluttered, and she raised her hand to press against her chest in an effort to quell the red flushing that quickly rose up her neck towards her cheeks; a bashful giggle left her mouth before she had the chance to stop it. Cupping her mouth in embarrassment, she glanced around to check if anyone walking by her had caught her blushful display.

When she was sure nobody was staring, she cleared her throat and sent a message back.

' _That's reassuring, thank you :) what are you doing today?_ '

He responded very quickly, ' _Spending some time with the group. Come to the Game Shop if you're not busy?_ '

Eshe smiled, ' _Thanks for the invite, but I think I'm gonna stay at home this afternoon. Heading to the mall now tho!_ '

Eshe's recollection of the amicable crow from her childhood brought with it a sense of nostalgia and she felt compelled to head to the store and buy a bird feeder to hang outside her apartment window. On the off chance a bird might drift by and be in need of a snack, she hoped one might land on the ledge outside her window to say hi.

It was a small notion, but for her it was a thought that held much significance. Something a simple as the trust of a tiny animal could help her feel content and happy.

' _Are you with Leela?_ ' Eshe read when her phone chirped with a text alert, and she frowned.

' _No, we're not on good terms. I'm by myself_.'

A pause. ' _Alone?_ '

' _That_ _ **is**_ _what_ _ **by myself**_ _means, Atem._ ' Eshe snorted slightly, and there was another long lapse of hesitation before he replied again.

' _Be safe_ ', he told her, followed by, ' _be cautious_.'

The prudent advice planted a fidgety apprehension deep in her stomach, and she cast a quick glimpse at her surroundings; the people around her seemed… _normal, typical, harmless_.

Nothing to fear, nothing out of the ordinary; she wasn't being haunted by the creeping feeling of being watched. Everything felt relatively normal, actually.

' _I'm fine, Atem. Don't worry_.'

Eshe assumed his concern stemmed from the night before when she had claimed to feel an unfriendly gaze on her back; come to think of it, Atem had pulled her against him and tightened his hold on her abruptly.

Atem seemed the protective type; Eshe wasn't sure if he was just guarded by nature or if perhaps he had lost someone in the past. She hoped it was the former.

' _Could you call me when you're walking home?_ ' Atem asked, and Eshe bit her lip.

' _I don't like calling… but I'll text you when I'm home. Okay?_ ' That would have to suffice for him; speaking on the phone was never fun for Eshe.

' _Alright. Don't forget._ '

Eshe slipped her phone back into her pocket and continued to the mall, keeping a watchful eye out for her environment.

* * *

Eshe had just left the pet shop with her fancy new bird feeder when she heard a familiar voice calling to her amongst the crowds of people; she looked up to find Joey and Tristan waving to her - the both of them appeared to be clutching bags of party foods as the advanced on her.

"Hey guys", Eshe greeted, a wide smile on her face, "how's it going?"

"It's going good, Esh!" Tristan responded, while Joey threw her a thumbs-up.

"Just getting some snacks, we're all gonna hang out at the Game Shop. You're welcome to join us, if you want?" Joey asked, scratching at his floofy blond hair.

Eshe giggled, "Atem already asked me. Thanks for the invite, but I'm gonna have a quiet day at home today."

"Fair enough", Tristan nodded, his smile unabating, "Hey! We were gonna ask you- what are you doing on Saturday? Cause Kaiba's got a new theme park opening up in the city and we thought you might like to join us!"

Eshe looked between the two curiously, "You mean… the new and improved Kaibaland? The grand opening?"

"That's the one!" Joey spoke.

Eshe raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly, "The one that Kaiba is personally inviting top duelists to?"

"Exactly that!" Tristan chimed in.

Eshe glanced between the two expectantly for a few moments, "Don't you need… you know… an invitation to attend the grand opening?"

Joey and Tristan shared a glance and then regarded Eshe with a look of confusion.

"Well yeah", Joey spoke, blinking a few times fast, "Kaiba's invited us all."

Eshe looked skeptical, "He wouldn't have invited me. I'm not a known duelist, remember? I've never participated in any official, big tournaments."

Tristan smirked, "Neither have I! Neither has Téa, for that matter. We're still invited!"

With an unconvinced look, Eshe responded, "But Kaiba doesn't _know_ me…"

The two boys shared a smirk that immediately left Eshe wary of their mischievous ways, and Joey looked all too smugly complacent when he proclaimed, "Yeah, but you're Atem's girlfriend and Kaiba wants a duel! So if rich-boy wants his duel, he's gonna have to let you in."

Eshe had reluctantly let out an undignified squeak as Joey had designated her as Atem's _girlfriend_ , and proceeded to stutter in an alarmingly high-pitched tone, "Wha-?! Ah- I, no, I'm- I'm not- well, I-"

As far as the two boys were concerned, Eshe's fit of bashfulness was fraught with hilarity, and they let loose a series of loud laughter to prove it. Eshe clamped her mouth shut, her cheeks glowing bright red as she glared the two giggling boys down.

"Well you are, aren't you? You've been on two whole dates! You've held hands, and you've kissed, right?" Tristan inquired, a mirthful sheen to his dark brown eyes.

"No, actually, _we haven't_!" Eshe squeaked, her lips pressed tightly together in the shape of a pout.

Tristan and Joey shared an incredulous look. "What!?" Tristan exclaimed in disbelief.

"You haven't kissed yet? That's crazy!" Joey added.

" _Oh my God, shut up!"_ Eshe squealed, hiding her blushing face behind her hands, "Do _not_ talk to Atem about this!" She pushed past them, intent on leaving as the boys snorted loudly, struggling to contain their joy at embarrassing the girl.

"Oh hey-" Joey called, grabbing her arm to stop her, "...are you walking back alone?"

Eshe glanced over her shoulder at the blond boy closely, "Yeah… why?"

Joey turned to Tristan and they boys seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking, as if they were sharing a telepathic conversation, and then they both regarded her with a pointed look.

"Hey, why don't we walk you home?" Tristan offered, giving the girl a charming smile.

"Uh, no, that's okay", Eshe deadpanned, frowning slightly, "I don't need constant supervision, boys, I'm not a baby."

Joey cleared his throat, rubbing his neck tensely, "Well, eh, be careful, yeah?"

Eshe paused, her frown deepened, her eyebrows knitting, "... has something happened? Why's everyone telling me to watch my back?"

They seemed quick to correct their demeanour, giving her wide, easy-going grins, "nah, it's nothing! Have a good walk home!" Joey blurted quickly, before grabbing Tristan's arm to start pulling him away, "anyway, see ya Saturday! Come to the Game Shop at ten o'clock!"

Eshe blinked a couple of times as the boys retreated, baffled by their sudden departure and unusual behaviour, before shrugging it off. It's not like it was weird to witness Joey and Tristan acting strange.

* * *

' _I'm home_ ', Eshe messaged Atem as she stepped into the foyer of her apartment building; it was just after lunch-time and she was starving. As she climbed the steep five flights to her apartment, she figured she probably should've had something a little more filling than a granola bar for breakfast.

Coming to a sudden stop at the entrance to her apartment, Eshe examined the slightly scuffed welcome mat at the base of the door; she'd habitually smoothed it out when she left this morning, which could only mean one thing.

Leela was home.

Eshe sighed, glancing back to the stairs to contemplate the merits of throwing herself down them as opposed to the inevitable frustrations that would arise from confronting her roommate within the apartment.

Gathering all the courage she could muster, Eshe took a deep breath, inserted her key into the lock, and pushed the door open, stepping cautiously inside.

Immediately, the scent of vanilla sponge cake wafted into her nostrils and Eshe raised a curious eyebrow at the presence of a vase on the dining table housing a gorgeous bouquet of different coloured flowers. At the base of the vase, there sat two matching plush toys in the form of magpies.

Eshe blinked, and stepped further into the room, before her eyes were drawn to the figure kneeling in front of the oven to examine the partially baked treat within.

Leela must've caught Eshe's reflection in the glass screen of the oven-door, because she jumped up and turned quickly, startled by the presence of the tanned girl behind her.

"Eshe!" Leela squeaked, smiling brightly, "I wasn't expecting you back so soon…"

Eshe's neutral facial expression remained unchanged, waiting for Leela to acknowledge the heavy tension in the air. Leela swallowed visibly.

"I'd hoped I'd be done with the cake by the time you got back…"

Now, Eshe frowned and crossed her arms, prepared to give her roommate the silent treatment for as long as she needed to.

Leela fidgeted with her hands at the uncomfortable silence and cleared her throat, her eyes shifting anywhere but Eshe's face.

"Eshe, uhm, I'm sorry about what happened last night. I admit I was a little rude… I got you flowers, and the birds-" she pointed eagerly at the little presentation on the table, before side-stepping out of the way of the oven, "-and I'm baking you a cake… cause you know… you love cake…"

Eshe felt her jaw tighten and her lip quiver as a ripple of anger flickered through her; Leela was clearly trying to downplay how disrespectful she had been and how much she'd upset and humiliated her friend.

"Really?" Eshe spoke sharply, a hint of sarcasm dripping from her tone.

Leela blinked, glancing down at the cake in the oven and then back to her friend, "Yeah, you do like cake, don't you?"

"I don't want cake or flowers, Leela. I want an _actual_ goddamn apology!"

Eshe glared at her friend expectantly, and the other girl's mouth twitched for a moment before opening hesitantly, "I… that- I did apologise… just now… I'm sorry-"

"No, you're not sorry, or you wouldn't have been so horrible in the _first place_. We already talked about your irrational distaste for Atem, and you apologised then, and said you'd change your _shitty_ attitude, but then you go and act like a total-" Eshe cut off her own steadily rising tone to take a breath, "Just _what_ is your problem, Leela? _What is it!?_ "

Leela flinched as Eshe snapped at her, biting her lip to hide her pout behind an indignant expression, "Because he's a stupid idiot, Eshe! You can do better, I'm only looking out for you!"

"Leela, you sound like such a _child!_ You've said that about all my boyfriends!"

"Because it's _true!_ I just want the best for you, why are you getting offended?" Leela waved her hands around wildly as she spoke, hoping to drive her point home.

Eshe let out a mirthless laugh of incredulity, "I'm getting _offended_ because you're being an unreasonable, petty, _ASSHOLE_!"

Her shout left Leela looking like a deer caught in headlights, and Eshe immediately felt horrible, although she _knew_ she was right, and had no reason to be guilty for screaming at her friend.

There was a stretched moment of silence as Eshe clenched and unclenched her hands, "Listen to me, Leela. Whatever you think about Atem, _you are wrong_. He's the most wonderful boy I've ever met, I can't even describe, he- he's so gentle and considerate. He's caring and kind, attentive and- Leela, he's everything I've ever _dreamed_ about."

Leela sniffed, and Eshe spotted riled tears brimming at the corners of her eyes.

"He's turned you against me", Leela bit out, her voice slightly choked from emotion.

Eshe stopped, shaking her head in affronted confusion, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

" _He's turned you against me! That's why you're taking his side!_ " Leela snapped, rubbing at her wet eyes, her squeaky voice a higher pitch than usual.

"No, really Leela, what the actual _fuck_ are you talking about?"

Her roommate was making no sense; Atem had never said or done anything to pull Eshe away from Leela.

"Remember Chad?" Leela snarled.

Eshe's face reddened at the mention of her abominable ex-boyfriend, "What the fuck about Chad?"

"You said pretty much the same thing about Chad, and he almost convinced you that _I_ was the bad guy. Then you found out that that fucker liked to torture little animals for _fun_."

"YES, LEELA, I FUCKING REMEMBER", Eshe's face burned with shame and repulsion.

Chad had come across as such a sweet boy at first, he'd been a perfect angel, and then Eshe had found out about his little… _hobby_. It had been crippling to find out that someone she trusted- someone she thought she loved- turned out to be a _monster._

"What the fuck does he have to do with Atem!?" Eshe screeched defensively, not terribly comfortable with where their conversation had travelled.

"It's the same thing, Eshe! Gorgeous boy comes along, too good to be true, and he already acts suspicious enough! Calling it now, this guy steals from little old ladies!" Leela shot back, arms crossed with an expression on her face that gave the off an air of _I know best_.

Eshe pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose at Leela's asinine ramblings, "You're fucking ridiculous, you know that? Grow the fuck up, Leela."

"No, Eshe, _you_ grow the fuck up! You're far too trusting and you're letting a stupid crush get in the way of your judgement, as per fucking usual, that you can't see when someone is _clearly_ hiding secrets!"

" _Leela"_ , although Eshe's voice was loud, her tone was dangerously low, "You will stop being so fucking prejudice and you will apologise to Atem, or I'm moving the fuck out."

Leela froze, the tears in her eyes returning immediately, "What? You- you can't be serious?"

"I'm dead serious, Leela. I've had enough of your bitchy temperament, and I can't stand the shit you're saying about Atem. You apologise and drop it all, or I'm finding somewhere else to live, because I'm not going to put up with it", as the words left her mouth, Eshe could feel the stinging of her own tears welling up, ready to spill. She wanted to turn and hide her face so that Leela couldn't see her cry, but at the same time she felt it added to threat in her words.

Leela was quiet for a long time then, detecting the truth in Eshe's proclamation; her eyes shifted as she blinked rapidly, trying to force the tears back.

After what seemed like an eternity, Leela spoke, "I will apologise to him… but I don't have to like him."

"But you will respect him", Eshe shot back immediately, "I won't accept anymore insults directed at Atem, especially not to his goddamn face-" she took a moment to rub her temple, shaking her head, "-I can't fucking believe you humiliated me right in front of him…"

Leela sniffed again, her eyes narrow and her lip twitching to form a pout, "Look… I'm sorry, okay? I really am- and, I _really_ was just trying to look out for you. I know I have a fucked up way of showing it, but I- he- ...something about him just rubs me the wrong way, and I can't shake it."

Eshe shook her head, "He's just a boy, Leela. There's nothing crazy about him; he's just a normal, totally ordinary boy."

Leela sighed, wringing her hands repeatedly, before brushing away the rest of the stray tears that had leaked in heat of the argument.

"Can I… can I try and make it up to you? We could go out for lunch on Saturday, see a movie-" Leela cut herself off as Eshe closed her eyes and lightly shook her head again, "oh, oh- right, you're going out on another date with Atem, huh?" Her tone was less aggressive, she simply sounded resigned.

"No, actually. I'm going out with the whole group- to the Kaibaland grand opening." Eshe answered, her eyes trailing over the flowers on the table and the little plush birds.

"Isn't that for talented duelists?" Leela replied, a sharp eyebrow raised.

Eshe pretended not to catch the thinly-veiled insult, electing to interpret it as harmless sass on Leela's part, "Joey and Tristan seem to think they'll all be able to get me in. I mean, Yugi is friends with Kaiba… I think…"

Leela shrugged it off, nodding slightly. The two girls watched each other for a long moment, before Leela whispered, "Sorry again… I'll apologise to Atem when I see him next. Um… have you forgiven me?" she sounded hopeful, an edge of apprehension to her voice.

Eshe sighed, "I don't know. Maybe. We'll see."

Leela's gaze dropped to the floor miserably, acknowledging her statement with a tip of her head, and Eshe sighed, clearing her throat slightly.

She looked at the plush magpies again, "Why did you get two?"

"What?" Leela looked up, an inquisitive eyebrow arched.

"The magpies. Why'd you get two?"

Leela's eyes shifted between the table and her friend, "Because… of the rhyme… _One for sorrow, two for joy_."

Eshe felt a smile tugging at her lips; her roommate always did have the most amusing idiosyncrasies.

"I didn't want to get just one, cause that means sorrow. Why would I only get you _one_ magpie plush? That would be like, the ultimate bad luck", Leela pressed on, slightly encouraged into her silly rambling at the sight of the small smile on her friend's face.

"Leela…" Eshe mumbled, barely concealing a snort. She shook her head, "I think your cake's gonna burn…"

Leela spun around with a squeal, "Oh _shit_!"

"Language!" Eshe reprimanded as the other girl raced to turn the gas down and open the oven door, swiping the oven gloves from the countertop.

"Wha- Eshe, do you have any idea how many times you just said _fuck_ a moment ago? A lot of times, so don't you tell _me_ to watch my language!" Leela squeaked as she scrambled to save her vanilla sponge cake, placing the sweet-smelling treat on the cooling rack.

Leela could probably get away with calling it a success if she scraped off the slightly burnt areas, leaving a golden-brown delight.

Eshe huffed in amusement, "Good luck with the cake… I'm going to go do some drawing, okay?" The other girl gave her a brief look, and nodded with a hum of acknowledgement, before returning to fuss over the cake.

Leela was aware that Eshe needed some time alone to think over everything they'd just argued about, so she didn't try and push the girl to hang around.

Retreating to her bedroom, Eshe dropped her belongings beside her desk, pulled out the bird feeder and moved to hang it from the hook outside the window. She assumed the hook had previously been used for a hanging plant, or something to that effect, but she intended to make good use of it in her own way.

"Flock to me, birdies. I have food for you all", Eshe spoke with a soft snort as she made sure the feeder was stable. She closed the window slightly, leaving a small gap for the cool, fresh air to breach its way into her stuffy room.

"Right then", she murmured, taking a seat at her desk before pulling out her sketchbook and pencils.

' _Time to draw the apparently skilled magician and royal escort, Mahad.'_

As her pencil glided across the paper, she scrutinised the drawing, realising it bared resemblance to something she'd seen before outside of her dream.

' _How curious. He looks a little bit like the Dark Magician._ '

* * *

 **Note: I'm really excited from this point about the rest of the story because some of the ideas I'd had from the very beginning of this story are FINALLY coming around in the next few chapters. I hope you enjoyed! Love you guys! Please review! :)**


	16. Heart Of A Child And The Wit Of A Fool

Transcending Time

Chapter Fifteen: The Heart of a Child and the Wit of a Fool

Climbing the many stairs of her apartment building after work that Friday evening proved to be a little more challenging than she'd come to expect; the last week had been rather difficult for Eshe, to say the least.

Nightmares had lingered in her mind throughout the few hours of sleep she had managed to claim each night, her head had been filled with visions of crushing darkness aggressively compressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe, while her pained screams had echoed throughout nothingness, unheard.

Usually the welcoming caress of hot weather was something Eshe enjoyed against her skin as she fell asleep, but the past few nights it had felt uncomfortable, the heat had made her sticky with sweat, and she'd spent far too long tossing and turning in her struggle to grasp the blissfully unaware state that is _sleep_.

On top of her relatively restless nights, Eshe had encountered concentration issues - most likely brought on by said lack of sleep - and it began to take it's toll during her work-shifts. She'd been experiencing a distinct lack of energy, made apparent by how exhausting it became to climb the stairs to her home, and occasionally found herself blinking her eyes awake from sudden lapses into upright-dozing - a couple of times when she had been serving customers. _How embarrassing_.

Eshe's anxieties had been working on overdrive, causing her to hold ridiculous concerns over trifling things that really didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Luckily, the frequent text conversations with Atem and Téa had kept her grounded and happy, and they'd reassured her that she would most definitely be allowed access to the grand opening of Kaibaland on Saturday.

But above all else, Eshe had found herself filled with biting irritation and aberrant frustrations over the simplest inconveniences. Of course, she was immediately filled with guilt the moment she let out a snappy comment, often directed at Haru or Leela, and had quickly raced to apologise. Luckily they hadn't taken any offense, and instead just bitten back with their own sassy comebacks.

Speaking of Leela, their relationship was still somewhat strained; Eshe couldn't find it in her heart to really forgive her roommate until she apologised to Atem with sincerity. Leela preferred to act like their huge fight hadn't happened, and the neighbours had been giving them wary looks all week whenever they'd passed them in the hallway or the foyer.

As Eshe stumbled into her shared apartment that evening, she let out a huge yawn; she'd worked the late shift and the cafe had been busy, which may have been a factor as to why she felt so damn tired.

"Tired?" Leela asked from her reclined position on the couch as Eshe sluggishly stepped into her line of sight.

"Is it that obvious?" Eshe asked with a touch of disappointment to her tone; she hoped she didn't look like a complete zombie.

"Ah, let's see… disgruntled expression, hair askew, very audible yawns, sleepy eyes with dark rings around them… yeah, it's pretty damn obvious", Leela snorted, moving her feet as she leaned forwards so that Eshe could sit down.

Eshe groaned, running a hand over her face, "Excellent", she grumbled sarcastically.

"You been getting enough sleep, girl?" Leela asked, her voice softened with concern, and Eshe shook her head with a bitter smile.

"Oh no, definitely not."

Leela was quiet for a moment, watching Eshe's face closely, "You know, right now would be a great time to call that doctor you promised you'd make an appointment with-"

She was interrupted by Eshe's loud groan and promptly rolled her eyes, "Don't be such a baby. You've been having these nightmares and now you look like hell. Why are being so stubborn about this?"

"You're one to talk", Eshe bit out the facetious remark with a scornful glare to match.

Leela was unaffected by the dirty look her roommate gave her, "And you're acting all agitated one-hundred percent of the time. There's got to be a medical explanation for it."

"I'll tell you what's wrong! I'm barely functioning on three-hours sleep, _at best_ , and I've been getting _looks_ from the neighbours cause they heard everything we said to each other last week. The woman who lives above us has two young children and they're all mortified at how many times we said _fuck_."

"If I recall correctly, you said it more than me", Leela shrugged her shoulders, a small smirk pulling at her lips.

"Yeah, well you gave me more reasons to say it, that's why." Eshe mumbled, rubbing her tired eyes with balled fists, "Now, excuse me, I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to bed."

"Really? It's only eight-thirty", Leela rose an eyebrow at the other girl.

"Yes, and apparently I'm going to Kaibaland tomorrow and I'm going to be walking around a huge amusement park all day, _and_ I need some goddamn beauty sleep", Eshe snapped, pulling herself to her feet to drop her belongings in her room and make her way hastily to the bathroom.

The feeling of warm water caressing her sore muscles was enough to put Eshe in a vaguely contented mood; after washing away the thin layer of sweat on her body, she bid Leela goodnight and then headed straight for the comfort of her bed.

Hours later, in the middle of the night, she glared silently up at her ceiling.

Why was it she was so cripplingly tired until the very moment her head touched the pillow?

Without fail, for the past nights, she had been unable to block out the distant noise of car tires screeching - _who the hell is driving around at one o'clock in the morning anyway!?_ \- or the barely audible noise of the wind blowing oh-so-gently outside her window, _or_ the unmistakable sound of a tiny insect flying around her room. There was no logical reason she should be able to hear that but for some reason she couldn't _not_ pay attention to it. The tiny buzzing vibrations were deafening when she was trying to nod off.

But, as with the prior nights, Eshe managed to amble away from her thought process long enough to drift delicately into a troubled sleep.

* * *

 _It was the day of her husband's coronation; he was to ascend the throne from prince to pharaoh, and Eshe couldn't be more proud of him. The celebrations were loud and joyous while nobles from all around the kingdom feasted at the banquet tables on only the most expensive cuisine. Eshe sat quietly, opposite her father who had been invited to share in the jubilant event, as she nibbled sparingly on some bread._

" _My dear Eshe, you've barely eaten, is something the matter?" came the steady, concerned voice of her ageing father, Prince Nizam._

 _Eshe blinked away from the dazzling dancers, to look up at her father, a slightly widened gaze in startled curiosity, "Hm? Oh, no, father, I'm fine…" she trailed off, losing confidence in her words as she spoke them, "Well, I… I guess I'm just a little bit nervous."_

" _Nervous, my dear?" Nizam spoke, his brow furrowing as he gave her a kind smile, "Whatever for?"_

 _Eshe smiled, her eyes drifting from her father's face to the highest point of the throne room._

 _Prince Atem -_ _ **no**_ _,_ _ **Pharaoh**_ _**Atem**_ _sat upon the throne, watching the festivities proceed with a calm outwards expression, his back straight, his eyes almost unblinking as he scanned everybody in the room with a commanding look._

 _Only Eshe seemed to be aware of his dwindling composure, though she was impressed by the way he restrained his anxiousness. She knew the signs of his unease very well and was all too familiar with the way Atem portrayed his discreet alarm._

 _The night before, he had laid awake for hours before sleep finally claimed him, and Eshe had stayed up with him, sympathetic of his faint jitters at the day he had ahead of him. Atem had learnt a lot from his father, the man had been a great ruler, and his son had always been eager to make the great Aknamkanon proud, but being in charge of an entire kingdom appeared simpler in theory than it was in practise._

 _Eshe had laid beside him, cuddled up to his side as she drew calming patterns on his arm with her fingertips; she had spoken words of encouragement and reassurance._ _ **This kingdom already loves you, Atem**_ _, she had whispered in his ear,_ _ **do not fret, tomorrow will be the beginning of a long and powerful reign.**_

 _Yes, Atem was terrified, but he hid it so well._

 _Eshe's eyes travelled to his hands, watching the way he drummed his fingers against the hard stone on the armrest of his throne; anyone else might simply pass it off as the kingdom's new pharaoh simply enjoying the beat of the music, but Eshe caught the slightly offbeat tapping for what it really was - cleverly concealed distress._

 _Then there was the way the fingers of his other hand played fervently with the threaded cord of his Millennium Puzzle - the powerful object that belonged to his father, and was granted upon him for the very first time mere hours ago. Eshe could tell his fidgeting fingers were the clearest sign of his inner thoughts._

" _I suppose Atem's..._ _ **slight**_ _apprehension has been rubbing off on me", she spoke quietly in response to her father's question, not willing to divulge the fact to any of the nobles at the table that Atem was perhaps just a little bit scared._

 _Nizam gave a knowing chuckle, "Ah, the boy has nothing to fear, and especially not on the day of his coronation."_

 _Eshe's smile grew, "That's exactly what I told him, father." Her eyes flickered back to the marvellous throne where her husband sat, and her gaze locked with the deep purple eyes she always found so alluring._

 _Atem watched her with his gingerly crumbling resolve, a look that implored reassurance, and Eshe rewarded him with a radiant smile to relieve his doubt and affirm that he was doing just fine._

 _It seemed to help, because she saw the corners of his lips tilt upwards in a ghost of a smile, and his chest expanded as he took a deep breath, before exhaling softly. His fixed stare returned to the room, this time with invigorated courage._

 _Eshe's heart fluttered in her chest as his rejuvenated confidence lit up the room; he looked so beautiful adorned in gold and jewel, so regal and fitting._

 _The moment was ruined with the noise of commotion growing louder and the cries of guards from outside yelling for someone to 'halt!' but not even the solid defenses posted at the entrance to the throne room were prepared for what came bounding into the room._

 _Eshe's heart pounded in her chest, screams sounded from the nobles around her as people fled immediately to the very edges of the large hall, as far away as they could get from the intruder._

 _The man was tanned, his face scarred, and his white, unkempt hair reached wildly, framing his face to only make him look more sinister than he already was; he wore a familiar red coat - the one that belonged to Atem's father - and with this intruder came the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Aknamkanon._

 _Startled cries filled the room at the unforeseen interruption, and Eshe stood frozen in place, her hand cupped over her mouth in shock, as the man spoke malevolently, challenging the new Pharaoh._

" _What is the meaning of this!?" Atem's voice broke through the fear in the room, renewed with strength when he needed it most._

 _The malicious man laughed, and demanded Atem hand over all of the Millennium items immediately; Eshe shivered in fear at his nefarious request, disturbed by the snake-like quality of his voice. The members of Pharaoh's court stepped bravely between Atem and the infiltrator._

" _My name is Bakura, and I_ _ **will**_ _have your Millennium items,_ _ **pharaoh**_ _!" He barked with crazed enmity, spitting the last word like it was dirt on his tongue._

 _The man, Bakura, raised his arm, displaying the DiaDhank he had stolen from the previous pharaoh's tomb, and he roared with explicit animosity, "Now pharaoh, behold my Diabound!"_

 _Eshe rediscovered her mobility, finally finding motivation to unfreeze her legs and_ _ **move**_ _as a bright stream of light came forth from the apparatus on Bakura's forearm. She glanced to the throne, and Atem's eyes flickered towards her, widening visibly, before he turned back to the sight before him._

" _My Queen, quickly, this way!" a voice cried out from behind her, and Eshe felt her arm being grabbed in a firm hold. She let herself be pulled dazedly, realising the guard, her friend Asim, was the one hauling her back and out of harm's way._

 _In all the excitement, Eshe had forgotten the title of 'Queen' now belonged to her._

 _Her eyes shifted, catching sight of her husband who rose to his feet as the horrifying monster, Diabound, was called forth to their realm._

 _How quickly the tables had turned; Atem was now the visage of power and fearlessness as he faced the monster with commendable determination, while Eshe was the one quaking in her sandals, afraid of what could potentially occur next._

 _Atem surprised her; with enduring steadfastness, he spoke, raising his DiaDhank high above his head, and with undwindling willpower, he called out._

" _ **I summon Obelisk, the Tormentor!**_ "

 _The bright light that engulfed the room was far greater than that of Bakura's, and Eshe watched on in awe as one of the glorious Egyptian Gods came forth to heed Atem's summons._

* * *

Eshe awoke with a fright and a pathetic yelp, springing into an upright position with her hands outstretched before her as the remnants of her dream faded to give way to reality. She sighed as her heart rate returned to a resting pace; that monster, Diabound, had given her quite a scare.

With a grunt, Eshe kicked off her bedcover and reached for her phone to check the time. Dull light seeped through the blinds on her window, so it couldn't have been too early.

 _7:34am._ At least she'd gotten a good four-and-a-half hours sleep.

She fell back against her pillow, sinking into the soft sheets; while the vivid dream had startled her awake, she wouldn't exactly call it a nightmare. It hadn't held the same note of terror that her less coherent dreams of crushing darkness usually did. In fact, it seemed she'd woken up just before dream-Atem had saved the day.

Eshe gave a soft snort of unenthusiastic amusement; with all these otherworldly dreams she was having, full of magic and monsters, she could probably write a best-selling novel if she wrote it all down. It was interesting, and quite bizarre, she imagined, for her dreams to all appear connected - if she really thought about it, she could probably put each individual dream into chronological order.

Not that she really had the motivation to do that; she'd just stick to drawing.

Eshe had a couple of extra hours until she was expected at the Game Shop, so she spent the first half of her morning sorting out her hair and choosing her outfit for the day - something comfortable and adequate for the weather, as she imagined she was going to be on her feet for the most part of the day. _No high heels this time._

She decided to consume a sugary bowl of cereal, welcoming the energy it would provide after her fairly lethargic week - and she certainly would need it.

Before leaving her apartment, she hesitantly picked up her Duel Monsters deck, flicking through her beloved cards thoughtfully; she didn't expect she would be dueling anybody that day, but heading to a special event especially _for_ duelists had her feeling as though it would be ridiculous to attend without it.

"Leela, I'm heading out now!" Eshe called down the hallway to her friend, who had not yet left her bedroom, and the other girl gave a muffled response of acknowledgement.

With that, Eshe left the apartment to meet with her friends.

When she pulled up and parked adjacent to the shop, what she didn't expect to see was a limo. Hopping out of the front seat of her much inferior vehicle, she leered at the fancy automobile, heading towards the entrance to the shop.

"Did ya know there's a limo outside?" Eshe spoke, foregoing a greeting as she stepped into the building to find the gang already waiting for her in front of the counter.

"Hey Eshe!" Yugi greeted with a wide smile, as always the picture of optimism and glee, and the rest of the group turned to offer similar expressions of high spirits. It appeared they were all excited to spend the day at a Duel Monsters-themed park.

"That'd be Kaiba's limo, he sent it for us especially. Gotta have the top duelists arriving in style, ya see!" Joey explained, a hint of smugness to his voice.

"And by top duelists, Kaiba means Yugi and Atem. Not you", Tristan murmured, a sly and mocking smirk on his face. Téa took a moment to send the brown-haired boy a dreary look, clearly fed up with how often and easily he liked to rile Joey up.

At the mention of a certain someone, Eshe's eyes drifted away from the imminent fight about to break out between the two taller boys, and towards Atem, who stood with his hands in his pockets and a small smile pulling at his lips as he looked her over.

"How are you?" Atem asked, and Eshe hoped the question wasn't elicited by her slightly scraggly appearance. She still had to catch up on her sleep, and the shadows under her eyes hadn't completely abated.

Eshe nodded slightly as she stepped closer to him, "I'm fine, thank you. Um, are you absolutely certain I'm going to be allowed into Kaibaland?"

"Absolutely!" Téa exclaimed with a wink, " _and_ you get to ride in the limo!"

"Don't worry about it, Eshe", Yugi reassured her, "we won't be entering Kaibaland without you!"

Atem nodded in agreement, presenting her with a winning smile, and Eshe blushed slightly, rubbing the back of her neck, "If you say so", she spoke, still a little unsure despite the certainty of her friends.

The limo ride turned out to be _amazing_.

There was a mini-fridge stocked with snacks and soda, which Tristan and Joey were particularly happy about, but Eshe watched out the tinted window as the limo made it's way in the direction of the park. Their style of travel drew stares from onlookers along the streets of Domino; Eshe assumed by the KC logo on the side that everyone knew the limo belonged to Seto Kaiba.

Her body thrummed with excited, nervous energy at the attention the limo was earning; it almost made her feel like a celebrity.

When the park came into view, Eshe couldn't help but let out an audible 'whoa'. The sight was incredible; she knew the amusement park was well-anticipated amongst the people of Domino and beyond, but this was the first time she had seen it open and thriving. The rides were already running, and she could hear the distant cries of excitement from the people riding the rollercoasters, and it fuelled her elation.

The door to the limo was opened by a man in a black suit, and he greeted the occupants of the vehicle as they exited it one-by-one. He glanced down at the clipboard he held in his hand as his eyes scanned over Eshe, and a tingle of doubt passed through her at the sight of his inquisitively raised eyebrow.

"Mr. Kaiba informed us there were going to be a few non-duelists accompanying the invitees, but you aren't one of them…" the man's tone was not unkind, merely a mix of curious confusion, and Yugi was quick to respond to his statement.

"This is Eshe, she's a talented duelist _and_ she's with us", Yugi spoke matter-of-factly, and Eshe flushed at the compliment.

"Hmm", the black-suited man seemed unresolved, but pulled out his phone, "let me call Mr. Kaiba and double-check this with him…"

Eshe deflated, anticipating the moment the man would tell her to get lost because she wasn't on the guest list.

"Tell Kaiba if he doesn't let her in, we're all going home", Atem spoke with a ghost of a smirk on his face, sounding confident that his words would most definitely convince Kaiba to grant Eshe entry.

"Oh, um, okay", the black-suited man blinked rapidly for a moment before turning his back to them to make the call; for a few moments it seemed like Eshe wasn't going to get into the park, until the man reiterated Atem's assertion.

"Oh, of course, Mr. Kaiba!" the man quickly hung up and turned back to the group, "Welcome to Kaibaland, Miss Eshe!"

Eshe blinked in surprise, "Oh… I… okay! Cool!" A wide smile grew on her face, her nerves fading away, and she felt momentarily foolish for not believing her friends when they told her it would all be fine.

"Told ya we'd get you in!" Joey exclaimed, delivering a firm clap to her shoulder, and Eshe giggled.

"Guess I shouldn't have doubted you guys", Eshe admitted, and as she walked alongside her friends towards the V.I.P entrance of the park, she furtively linked her hand with Atem's, enraptured by the way his long fingers tightened around her own as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

* * *

The amusement park was even bigger on the inside, and far more impressive to behold close up; Eshe felt extremely lucky to have been let in without an invite, and she decided she'd have to thank Seto Kaiba if she ever got the chance to meet him.

Three Blue-Eyes White Dragon statues were the first things the group caught sight of at the entryway gate of the park, and immediately Eshe predicted a pattern. She was well aware of the young billionaire's fondness for the powerful Duel Monster thanks to what she'd learned from watching Yugi's and Kaiba's televised duels, but she didn't quite catch on to the level of obsession the sight bordered on.

"Kaiba really likes Blue-Eyes White Dragon, doesn't he?" Eshe hummed, and Joey snorted beside her.

"You have no idea", the blond said with a smirk.

It became apparent rather quickly which duel monster Kaiba liked the most, given that half the rides and park attractions were based on it.

"Alright, let's see", Eshe murmured, holding up the map that a park attendant had shoved into her hand as the group had passed through the entrance barrier, "this place is pretty huge, where are we gonna go first?"

"The rollercoaster!" Tristan cried, pointing to the towering blue track at the opposite side of the park; the carriage was shaped like Blue-Eyes and Eshe could hear the poor souls on the ride screaming as the track reached several scary-looking loops.

"We should probably save that till later, I imagine the queue would be ridiculous right now. Everyone goes there first", Téa spoke logically, and Tristan groaned but ultimately found her reasoning to make sense, obviously not excited about having to wait in a long line.

"What about the _Monster House_ ghost train? That's just over there!" Yugi suggested, motioning the spooky-looking building just across the way.

The ride was clearly built to emulate a haunted, decrepit mansion, and one of the walls along the outside was painted with a mural of several monsters renowned for being particularly creepy; Eshe could spot _Dark Jeroid_ , _Necroface,_ and _Thousand-Eyes Idol_ with it's many, _many_ eyes.

"I'm up for a little adrenaline rush", Eshe agreed, nodding her head. She glanced over the others in the group, who all seemed happy to experience the promise of fright; the queue for the ride wasn't too long either.

It became discernible, as they waited in the line, that Yugi was going to be approached frequently by other duelists who were big fans of him, and Eshe grinned as the boy continuously became flustered with the attention.

It was, as always, adorable to see Yugi flush at the compliments thrown his way from random strangers, and Eshe's eyes drifted to Atem, who once again held that proud smile on his face as he observed excited duelists thanking the King of Games for inspiring them in their ventures.

"Why doesn't anybody ever recognise me as the great Joey Wheeler!? I made it to the top four in Battle City!" the blond boy whined under his breath as he watched Yugi shyly attempt to deflect all the recognition he was drawing.

Téa chuckled slightly, "Hey, I'm sure one day you'll be asked to sign a duel disk by a starstruck fan, Joey", she encouraged.

"Just don't hold your breath", Tristan muttered under his breath with a wide, teasing grin.

"You _what!?_ " Joey shrieked, and Eshe grabbed his arm before he could take a swing at the brown-haired boy.

"Please _do not_ start a fight in the queue line. We _will_ get kicked out", Eshe groaned, pouting at the taller boys. Joey grumbled something under his breath towards Tristan while the other boy snickered immaturely.

Before they knew it, it was their turn to board ride, which each held two people per carriage. Eshe glanced up at Atem, "You wanna ride with me?"

Atem smiled and gave her a nod, "So, is this thing supposed to be scary?"

Eshe snorted as they both hopped into the small carriage, and the lap bar lowered securely, "Haven't you ever been on a ghost train ride?"

Atem shook his head, "I've never been on any rides before, I'm not sure what to expect", he admitted, and Eshe smirked at him.

"Expect loud noises, flashing lights and nightmare fuel", she spoke, and Atem gave a hesitant nod of understanding.

"I see…"

Eshe cocked an eyebrow at his skeptical look, "Aren't you scared of anything?" she questioning with an aporetic tone, and Atem smiled, his eyes shifting from her face to the track ahead as the carriage began to move.

"Perhaps we'll find out."

Eshe grinned as the carriage was plunged into a dark room and the sound of the people in the queue became quieter, more distant. She could already feel the anticipation of frights rising within her that began as a tickling feeling in her stomach, though at the same time she didn't expect anything too ghastly within the fabricated haunted mansion.

For a while, it seemed like nothing was going to happen as the ride clicked forward on the track at a slowed pace, building a mountain of suspense for the two occupants of the carriage; then, with startling suddenness, the room lit up with fiery colours, the sound of a screeching giggle emanating from seemingly all around them.

Eshe drew back as she gave an embarrassingly loud yelp of alarm and caught Atem smirking in her peripheral vision; her face heated up, which had nothing to do with the imitation fire surrounding them.

" _Prepare to burn, daring travellers_ ", the hissing voice came, and Eshe watched the projection of a terrifying face form within the faux flames - it vaguely reminded her of a carved pumpkin at Halloween.

"That's Invasion of Flames", Atem spoke, and Eshe briefly wondered what he was talking about before he added, "-the Duel Monster." Eshe was surprised to hear his voice unwavering at the creepy display of impressive special effects before them while she herself was tense with jitters; Atem sounded more amused if anything.

Eshe opened her mouth to deliver a snarky response, trying to brush away her trepidation at the very realistic monster before them when the carriage suddenly lurched forward, and instead she released a loud squeak.

The panic that arose came from her brain telling her ' _we shouldn't be moving towards that, that's fire!_ ' before she immediately remembered that it was just an imposing projection, not an actual threat. She heard Atem's rich, baritone chuckle, and realised with a start that she'd grabbed onto his arm in her terror.

She released him quickly, clearing her throat as she shimmied slightly away from him in the limited space of her seat. "I'm not usually this much of a scaredy cat", she grumbled, relishing in another ripple of deep laughter from the boy beside her.

"You can hold onto me if you want to", Atem told her, and Eshe huffed in semi-amusement, unable to tell in the dim light whether he meant it in playful mockery.

She didn't have long to dwell on it, because the carriage bounded around a corner into a new room, filled with a new batch of nasty monster projections.

"Hah, I'm not scared of clowns!" Eshe exclaimed victoriously as she was faced with _Peten_ and _Saggi_ , _the Dark Clowns_. They reached out their gloved, elongated fingers to try and scare the carriage occupants, but Atem merely stared at them as they attempted their mischievous shenanigans.

"Kaiba's really trying to scare us with clowns?" Eshe faked a bored yawn, "He's gonna have to try better than that."

Atem smirked; the ride barrelled through to the next room and before the couple had time to comprehend their surroundings, an _Axe of Despair_ swung down from above, stopping just short of slicing their heads off.

"OH! Okay, that was better!" Eshe screeched from her recoiled position, and a series of nervous giggles fell from her mouth as she witnessed the momentary panic fading from Atem's face. He'd thrown his arms up reflexively as the solid axe had whirled towards them, and shook his head, lightly flustered from having momentarily forgotten that no harm could possibly come to them.

"I wonder how the others are doing", Eshe chuckled, "I haven't heard Joey screaming yet so maybe the walls are just soundproof."

"Maybe", Atem snorted, "or maybe this ride isn't as scary as you think", his tone was ultimately teasing, and Eshe laughed with disbelief.

"Don't think I didn't see you freak out just now!" Eshe playfully whacked his arm.

"I- it was just sudden, and-" Atem stuttered to defend his fright, but Eshe grinned and shook her head.

"Excuses, excuses!" She chortled, and Atem shook his head with comical indignance.

In their light-hearted badgering, they almost didn't realise the carriage tilt back on an upwards slope, and Eshe grabbed onto the lap bar, letting out a nervous 'uh oh' as they climbed through the angled hallway, higher and higher.

"What?" Atem wondered curiously.

"There's gonna be a drop on the other side of this!" Eshe squeaked, and Atem followed her lead and tightly gripped the safety bar.

They reached the top, and Eshe blinked, "No drop?"

Trailing into a darkened room, the carriage came to a stop on what appeared to be the _end_ of the track, with no clear exit.

"I don't get it, what happens now?" Eshe asked aloud, glancing around the too-quiet room; not even the noise of telltale machinery sounded.

"Did the ride end?" Atem mused hesitantly, a suspicious eyebrow raised.

"I don't-"

Eshe was swiftly cut off by the alarming noise of wooden floorboards creaking and snapping, and the two of them whipped their heads around to look alarmingly at each other.

The carriage dropped.

Not diagonally down a slope like you'd expect from an amusement park ride, but straight down. As a matter of fact, the entire floor dropped, resulting in shocked cries from both Atem and Eshe; they flailed to grab ahold of each other, before the apparent free-fall ended, and they were gently rolling backwards on a flat track.

A beat of silence as their carriage rotated to face the right direction, and then Atem spoke, "...I guess that's what scares me."

As Eshe's pounding heart slowed to a relatively acceptable pace, she burst with howling amusement, clutching the boy beside her, who appeared still dazed from the abrupt descent.

"That was incredible", Eshe cried breathlessly as the ride pushed through double-doors and sunlight greeted them as they rounded on the track into the loading bay. Indeed, it was far more than Eshe had been expecting, for her only experience with ghost-train rides had been at cheap fair-grounds in the past - not multi-million dollar amusement parks.

She felt a fool for doubting the fear factor of the ride; the production value for this particular attraction must've been through the roof.

They scrambled to exit the carriage as it came to a stand-still and the lap-bar lifted; Atem almost tripped as he hurried to climb out, and Eshe giggled hysterically as she followed after him in a rush. They waited near the ride's exit, hoping to catch the reactions of the others as they came out of the blood-curdling experience.

Joey and Tristan's faces were absolute gold, they looked the epitome of astonishment, their hair in wild disarray, and as soon as they caught sight of Atem and Eshe, they both yelled incoherent cries of excited hysteria.

Yugi and Téa, on the other hand, just looked silently stunned, and exited the ride on wobbly legs. Eshe was in hysterics, pure waves of joy rolling off of her as Joey begged for them all to ride again, while Atem aggressively shook his head negatively in response.

Eshe's elation was wonderfully refreshing; this was the first time all week she'd felt so happy and _wide awake_. "Oh- oh my- Kaiba really is a genius to have designed something like that!" she squeaked, bouncing on her feet from the leftover adrenaline still pumping through her veins.

While the others debated whether or not to get straight back into the queue line, Eshe caught the way Atem watched her literally jump for joy, and his eyes shone happily with that beautiful deep, purple sheen. She stilled, biting her lip, a little embarrassed by her wild outburst, and Atem reached to grab her hand again, squeezing it gleefully.

"Okay, seriously you guys, I don't think my heart could take that again", Téa admitted, and Yugi cheerfully agreed.

"Ah man, alright… but later, I'm totally having another go on it", Tristan relented, and Joey enthusiastically nodded his head, claiming he'd ride it alongside the brown-haired boy once again.

* * *

Eshe didn't blame Atem for refusing to get in line for the _Blue-Eyes Jet Coaster_ , the biggest rollercoaster in the park, after his experience on the _Monster House_ ghost-train; Yugi had volunteered to give it ago while Téa chose to wait with Atem, also not one for the adrenaline-inducing rushes that amusement parks just loved to offer.

So that's why Eshe soon found herself queuing for the big one alongside the King of Games and the two taller boys of the group, oddly nervous now that she didn't have Atem to hold onto as her anticipation rose for the high-speed coaster above.

She leaned over the railing slightly, trying to catch a peek over the shoulder of the guy in front of her to see just how much longer the queue was going to last, when he stepped backwards slightly and bumped into her, knocking her off her tip-toes.

Before she could apologise for being in the way, the guy turned to glare at her and snapped, "Quit tryin' ta push me, bitch!"

Eshe recoiled at his animosity, looking up at him wide-eyed and momentarily stunned, "Wha- I- I wasn't-"

"This queue ain't gonna move any faster no matter how much you shove me so knock it off!" the guy hissed. He looked to be in his early twenties, thin and lanky in stature; he had a mean-looking angular face and reddish-orange spiked hair. A set of expensive brand sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose as he scowled at her with disdain.

Eshe imitated a fish for a moment, mouth opening and closing with nothing to say, until Tristan finally spoke up from behind her, "Chill out, man, she didn't do anything!"

The red-haired guy turned his bitter expression to the boys behind her and huffed, "She shoved me, dumbass!"

"Um, you're the one the knocked into _her_ , so how about you apologise and we forget it ever happened", Joey retaliated, both he and Tristan regarded the guy with affronted stares.

"You callin' me a liar?" the redhead hissed, pushing out his chest to appear more intimidating, and Eshe swallowed, begging for whatever divine intervention might occur to stop an inevitable fight from breaking out.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding", Yugi spoke up, a nervous smile on his face as he held up his palms defensively; the redhead seemed to notice and recognise the King of Games for the first time.

Eshe couldn't, in a million years, imagine anyone being disrespectful to Yugi Muto - kind Yugi Muto who treated everyone with consideration, and who emanated positivity and goodness; yet here she was, watching some pompous prick turn his nose up at Yugi to spout some egregiously flippant remark at the younger boy.

"Ain't you a little short to be riding this rollercoaster, pip-squeak?" the redhead growled, towering threateningly over the King of Games.

Yugi stood his ground, frowning up at the older - yet clearly miles more immature - guy, and responded in an unshakable tone, "No, actually, I'm two inches above the minimum height restriction."

Eshe admired Yugi's level-headedness and the way he could comeback so deadpanned to such an irritating jerk, but unfortunately Eshe didn't share the younger boy's enduring disposition, and promptly bared her teeth as the redhead threw back his head in mocking laughter.

"Why you gotta be such an asshole!?" Eshe hissed, arms crossed in a definitive stance.

"Who the fuck you callin' an asshole, bitch!?" the redhead regarded her with disgust, upper lip curled to reveal his yellow-stained teeth.

"Uh, hey Donnie", one of the redhead's friend's spoke up, jamming a thumb over his shoulder to point up the queue line, "the ride-staff are coming", he warned, "maybe you shouldn't start a fight, man…"

The redhead, apparently named Donnie, swung round as one of the staff members traversed down the outside of the queue-line to try and determine what the commotion was about.

"Is something the matter?" the staff member, a blonde woman who looked to be in her early thirties, spoke with a dubiously glare towards Donnie.

"Yeah, this girl behind was tryin' ta push in front of me!" Donnie snapped, motioning to Eshe with a jerk of his hand.

The blonde woman turned to Eshe, who calmly steeled herself and spoke, "I wasn't trying to push anywhere, I was just trying to look over his shoulder and he stepped backwards into me, then he began yelling insults and me and my friends."

It was very clear who the blonde woman believed, and she turned back to Donnie with a deep frown on her face, "Yes, I could hear him yelling. Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the queue."

Eshe tensed as Donnie and his friends began a shouting match with the staff member, and inwardly groaned, exasperated by the sheer audacity of the guy she was having to stand next to. Yugi gave her an encouraging smile and Eshe shrugged her shoulders slightly, feeling just a little bit awkward to have inadvertently caused the altercation.

"If you don't get out of this queue right now, I will call security and have them escort you out of the park", the woman snapped, her tone an ultimate warning, and Eshe could see the moment Donnie and his friends decided to do as they were told, when they deflated slightly and threw an unmistakable scowl of hatred over their shoulders at her before moving to hop over the fence to leave the queue line.

Once Donnie and his friends were out of sight, Eshe sighed and ran her hand over her face, "Thousands of people in this amusement park, and we got put right next to the jerks."

Joey snorted, clearly happy that the guy had gotten just what he deserved, "Serves him right for trying to mess with us, huh?"

Tristan nodded in agreement, "Good thing he was asked to leave the queue because I might've had to punch him in the face, and then _we'd_ be the ones getting kicked out!" the brown-haired boy joked, and Eshe face-palmed.

"I hope we don't see him again today", Yugi murmured, and Eshe groaned again.

"Knowing my luck, he'll be waiting at the ride exit to pummel us", she mumbled.

* * *

Sure enough, as they scrambled down the exit ramp in a semi-daze, having just experienced the fastest ride in the park, they were greeted with a troupe of unhappy-looking confrontational punks, cracking their knuckles in a way that suggested they were ready to commence a riot.

' _Shit. I was totally only joking about them waiting for us._ ' Eshe thought, regretting every action she'd taken in her life up to this point.

Tristan and Joey bravely moved to shield Eshe and Yugi from the troublesome group of bullies, and Donnie's group laughed obnoxiously loud at their courage. Eshe clenched her jaw as she caught sight of Atem and Téa trailing up rather quickly at the apparent uproar about to take place, probably wondering what on earth is going on.

"Listen here, kid", Donnie sneered, pointing a finger at Eshe's face, "I'm Donnie Drago, regional dueling champion from Florida, Miami, five years running, and I challenge you to a duel!"

Eshe paled, her mouth falling open in surprise, "I… what?"

"You heard me!" Donnie snapped, "and who are _you_? What're your dueling achievements?" he spoke smugly, perhaps assuming that he was a far better duelist than her.

Eshe swallowed, her eyes flicking to Atem and Téa who stood behind Donnie's group, watching on in confusion, and she looked up indignantly into the redhead's shielded eyes.

"My name is Eshe and I won several provincial tournaments in Southern California", she asserted with false confidence, successfully keeping the waver out of her voice that was threatening to make itself known.

Once again, Eshe had to gird herself as she was greeted with his abhorrent laughter, "HAH! I've never even heard of you! Why the hell were you invited!?" Donnie howled, and Eshe's brave, flinty resolve crumbled slightly.

She _hadn't_ been invited. She was technically only here because she was friends with Yugi Muto, it had nothing to do with her dueling talent. Eshe bit her lip and glared at Donnie through upturned eyes; upset with the mockery that was being made of her.

"She'll kick your ass in a duel!" Joey suddenly piped up, clenching his fists determinedly, and Tristan quickly raced to join him.

"Eshe could beat you blindfolded!" Tristan snapped, and Eshe gave them both a wide-eyed stare, trying to telepathically tell them to knock it off.

"Oh, she's that good, huh?" Donnie did not sound convinced, "If you're so confident, then you'll accept my challenge!"

Eshe swallowed as all eyes turned to her, she briefly scanned Atem's face, looking desperately for his reassuring gaze to held curb her fear. Atem offered more than that, he took his stern gaze away from the back of Donnie's head and his expression softened on her, forming an encouraging smile. He nodded to her, pressing her to accept his challenge.

Atem clearly believed in her, Eshe realised, and she gulped, turning tenaciously back to the redhead that was still awaiting her response.

"I accept your challenge", Eshe articulated with obstinate boldness.

Donnie's face morphed into a toothy grin, and Eshe felt once again repelled at the sight of his yellowed teeth; the redhead pulled back the sleeve of his jacket to check the time on his watch.

"Meet me at the dueling arena at four o'clock, and I'll show you just how foolish you are!" he declared, before turning on his heel. His group of friends parted for him to stomp away, but Donnie paused as he came face to face with Atem and Téa.

The redhead glared at them for a few moments, reading the stern stares on their faces, before shoving them both aside, "Outta my way!"

Atem grunted as he was pushed, but kept his unnerving gaze on Donnie as the older guy barged past them; they were all silent until Donnie had travelled out of sight, and that's when Joey smirked and turned to Eshe with a wide grin.

"Can't wait to watch you kick that guy's ass, Eshe!" he exclaimed, and then frowned at the wavering expression on her face. Eshe's hands were shaking as she fidgeted with the rim of her shirt.

"Eshe?" Téa spoke softly, stepping forward to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, "what's wrong?"

Eshe took a shuddering breath, shaking her head, "Guys, I can't do this."

"What?" Tristan exclaimed incredulously, "Sure you can! That clown's got nothing on you!"

Eshe's jaw clenched as she tried to push down on the rising panic in her chest, "He said to meet him at the dueling arena. There's gonna be people there! A-and we're going to have to duel with holograms! I can't do this!"

"Eshe", Atem stepped up before her and gave her a charming smile of assurance, "We'll be there cheering you on, you don't have anything to worry about. I've dueled against people like him and I can tell you that if you believe in the heart of the cards, your deck will reward you with the cards you need to beat him."

Feeling weary all of a sudden, Eshe looked up at Atem, and then to Yugi, and then back to Atem. It was momentarily disorienting to hear a speech that she was sure _should_ have been coming from Yugi's mouth come out of Atem's mouth instead, and Eshe felt the butterflies in her stomach double-up as she looked up at the boy's face with watery eyes and a quivering lip and spoke.

" _I can't do this_."

Atem's face fell.

What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

 **Notes: PLEASE REVIEW, MY BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, WONDERFUL READERS 3**


	17. Some Will Win, Some Will Lose

Transcending Time

Chapter Sixteen: Some Will Win, Some Will Lose

It was one o'clock in the afternoon, which gave Eshe three hours to dwell on her life choices.

Three hours to perhaps cook up a good excuse not to duel the colossal jerk named Donnie Drago who she was obliged to meet at the Duel Arena in time; Eshe had briefly considered slipping away from the group to leave the park and catch the nearest taxi home where she could crawl under her bed, never to emerge again. However, that shame that would arise in her upon fleeing like a coward was a far more vile concept than the shame of losing.

No, she couldn't run away. Not while Atem was watching her with his profound purple gaze, a look on his face that she could only regrettably perceive as _disappointment_.

Perhaps she was just reading into his expression too much, projecting her own self-deprecating thoughts onto it, but Atem had appeared downtrodden ever since she'd looked him in the eyes and told him ' _No, I can't do this_ ' despite his encouragement.

Eshe felt like an embarrassment; like she shouldn't have been allowed into this amusement park's grand opening event. When Eshe had first met her group of friends, she had bragged about her skills, told them she was an above-average Duel Monsters player.

Now she just thought herself a fraud, unable to rise to the challenge of some bully, all because she was afraid of being watched, afraid of making a mistake in front of strangers.

Afraid of losing.

She'd lost to Yugi, and it had been fine, but Yugi was _kind_ and _assuring_. Yugi had offered her advice and complimented her dueling strategy.

If she lost to Drago, the jackass would make her feel like dirt. Eshe would be mortified, everyone would laugh at her, and her friends would be humiliated that she failed to defeat the bully despite their support.

Eshe sighed. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd somehow break her arm on one of the park rides and have a viable excuse not to duel.

"Cheer up, Eshe. This duel isn't going to be as bad as you think, have a little more faith in yourself", Yugi spoke, the ever comforting tone of his voice lending itself to temporarily calm Eshe's whirring brain.

Eshe glanced up at him, shifting her elbow to lean her face in the palm of her hand; the group had sat down on a bench, following the confrontation with Drago, to devour lunch and take a moment to decide what area of the park to visit next.

Yugi's smile and soft words were unfortunately not enough to convince her, "Yugi, I'm not going to win this duel…"

"Not with _that_ attitude, you're not", Tristan said from beside her, his tone simultaneously gentle and firm as he placed a mollifying hand on her shoulder.

"Tristan's right, Eshe. If you believe you're going to lose, then you will", Yugi told her, seeming wise beyond his years. "Confidence is key!"

Confidence was not something easily obtainable to Eshe under such circumstances; she had always had problems with dueling amongst an audience and the solution wasn't as simple as believing she could win.

Eshe's eyebrows knitted as she sighed again, glaring down at the bench they were sat at. From her left, Téa slid a portion of fries in front of her and regarded her with an expectant look, "You haven't had any lunch. Eat something and maybe you'll feel a little more pumped for this duel."

Téa was very rarely wrong, and in any other situation, Eshe would take her advice and eat up, but her stomach was doing backflips and the idea of eating something was entirely repulsing.

"I'm… not hungry", Eshe stated with a shake of her head, pushing the plate of fries back towards Téa. At the frown she received from the brown-haired girl, Eshe clenched her jaw as she realised she was probably frustrating the whole bunch of them with her stubborn diffidence.

"I'm sorry", Eshe murmured, "I'm being difficult."

Téa seemed about ready to deny Eshe's disparaging statement, but Joey interrupted, jumping to his feet with his palms face down on the table.

"Yes, you _are_ being difficult!" Joey exclaimed, and Eshe swallowed thickly as the others in the group turned to the blond with a mixture of incredulity and exasperation on their faces.

"You're a great duelist, Esh! You did beat _me_ after all-"

The implications of Joey's comment was not lost of Eshe, and it reminded her of his undeterred morale in the face of a challenge - whether it be a duel, or a session of ice skating - Joey was always pumped and ready to go up against what life had to offer him.

"-you need to stop moping around feeling sorry for yourself! Step up and do your best, forget about the people watching and focus on what's important - _kicking Drago's stuck-up ass!"_

The others recovered from their momentary surprise at Joey's outburst and slowly turned their eyes back to Eshe, who chewed at her bottom lip as she mulled over the blond's words.

He was right, of course. Eshe needed to quit sulking, she'd been doing that far too much the past week and it wasn't helping her state of mind, nor was it ideal for those around her. She'd already incurred the wrath of Haru and Leela due to her irritable moods, she didn't want to test the waters of her relationships with her friends by acting so consistently grim.

Eshe drummed her fingers against the table as everyone waited for her response with baited breath, and eventually she inclined her head in a brief nod, "You're right, Joey-"

Joey thrust his clenched fist into the air in a gesture of victory, "Yeah!" he cried, a wide grin on his face, and the others seemed relieved that the blond's words had penetrated Eshe's wall of nerves.

"-I'm just scared. I feel like a coward", Eshe continued, eyes falling to her jittery fingers.

Atem shifted in his seat for the first time since they'd sat down; he'd been quiet and thoughtful up until now, and his movement caught Eshe's eye. His lips parted and he straightened in his seat, before offering one of his charming smiles.

"It's okay to be scared. Courage is the ability to face your fears, not hide them", he told her, and stood up.

Eshe watched as he circled around the bench and held out his hand for her to take, "Let me show you", Atem spoke.

She looked curiously from his face to his outstretched palm and hesitantly took it; Eshe rose to her feet, still clutching Atem's hand, and the boy removed his Millennium Puzzle with his free hand, offering it to Yugi.

"Will you look after this for me, Yugi?" Atem asked, and Yugi's eyes widened minutely. The younger boy took the Puzzle, placing it around his own neck.

"Yeah, of course, but… what are you doing?" the King of Games inquired.

Atem winked, which only added to Yugi's confusion.

Eshe glanced back at the group as Atem led her off elsewhere, "Atem, where are we going?" she asked, following him out of the food court, pressing onwards to wherever the boy wished to go.

"You'll see", was all he said, accompanied by a gentle squeeze of his hand around hers.

There was something about hand-holding that Eshe found wonderful, but with Atem, it seemed to enhance the experience - she didn't know what it was, but the feeling of his fingers tightly encircling hers made her heart beat just a little faster. It was some kind of complex simplicity - perhaps it was the way he could say so much by doing so little.

Regardless, all she knew was that she adored the gesture completely.

Caught up in all her whimsical thoughts, Eshe didn't notice where she was being taken until they were standing in front of their destination.

"Atem… no", Eshe tilted her head, a crooked smile on her face as they stood before the entrance to the _Blue-Eyes Jet Coaster_ queue line, "You don't have to do this to prove a point."

Atem smiled at her, and stepped forward, tugging her along with him, "Yes, I do. If I face my fear, you can face yours."

Eshe relented at his words, admiring his bravery; he hadn't wanted to ride the rollercoaster after his experience on the ghost-train - obviously the sensation of falling had not agreed with him, yet here he was, willing to confront terror just to show that a person _can_ endure.

The queue line had died down as people around the park sat down for lunch, so Atem's and Eshe's waiting time was not as long as expected; before they knew it, they were boarding the Blue-Eyes carriage, ready to ride the speedy roller coaster.

Eshe was anticipative of the tickling flutter that would soon occur in her stomach as they zoomed around the adventurous track, and she sunk into her seat with a nervous smile on her face; Atem, on the other hand, sat beside her like hardened cement, gripping the restraints around him with white-knuckled grip. His face was tense with fear.

"Having second thoughts?" Eshe asked quietly, an apologetic look on her face, "I told you, you didn't have to do this…"

"No, I wanted to do this. I needed to show you- oh _Gods_!" The carriage moved slowly on the tracks, starting on an incline as it climbed towards the peak of the track; Atem breathed through his mouth - audible, slow breaths, trying to force himself to remain calm.

"Hang in there, Atem", Eshe spoke slightly louder to compensate for the noise of the clicking track below, "It'll be over before you know it!"

Atem swallowed thickly, "Not soon enough…"

Eshe reached out her hand to him as they neared the top and he took it without hesitation, transferring his tenacious grip from the metal bar to his preferred lifeline.

"Don't close your eyes, that'll make it feel worse", was the last piece of advice Eshe offered before the carriage reached it's highest point.

The ride stilled for a moment, offering one more second of unwanted suspense, before it tipped over the edge and plummeted.

* * *

Eshe's hand felt like it had been crushed by a hydraulic press by the time the ride carriage pulled back into the loading station.

"You can let go of my hand now, Atem", Eshe groaned, trying to pry her fingers out of his harsh grip; he released her hand with a start, his digits opening mechanically due to his remaining dither.

Atem released a breath that it seemed he'd been holding since the initial drop and his head lulled forwards in relief that the ride was over; he blinked his wide eyes and looked tentatively over at Eshe, who bit her lip to restrain a smile at his disarrayed appearance.

"You okay?" Eshe asked softly as the safety restraints lifted.

"...Yeah", Atem sighed, shuffling to rise out of the seat and remove himself from the carriage as quickly as possible. Eshe followed with a giggle as Atem stumbled when his feet touched solid ground again, and gently patted him on the back.

"You handled that surprisingly well", Eshe praised the boy; she had expected Atem to throw his voice screaming the whole way through the ride, but instead he had remained silent and succeeded in keeping a placid composure.

Atem cleared his throat and turned to face Eshe as they left through the ride's exit, "Yes, well, I suppose… it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"My hand begs to differ", Eshe laughed, flexing the still stiff muscles in her palm, and Atem gave her a contrite smile.

"Apologies for that", he chuckled, running a hand through his wind-tousled hair to try and bring it back to a presentable style.

"It's okay, I don't mind", Eshe responded softly, a coy smile gracing her features; Atem's gaze drifted slowly over her face and lingered there for a few extra moments before he extended his hand once again.

He didn't need to say anything, the gesture alone had clear intent; he just wanted to be close to her and to touch her. The silent action caused Eshe's face to heat up slightly, and she took his hand with delight - thankfully a not-so-ruthless grip this time.

"I meant what I said, you know, it wasn't as terrible as I expected it would be", Atem stated idly as they made their way back to where the group was waiting. He turned to give Eshe a hopeful look, "Perhaps… this duel won't be as bad as you think."

Eshe knew he was only trying to strengthen her courage, but at the reminder of the impending duel, she felt her stomach twist once again and her eyes dropped to the concrete below her feet, eyebrows knitting as her nerves flickered back to the forefront of her mind.

"I just… want it to be over and done with", Eshe murmured; the waiting was what made it worse. She glanced down at her wristwatch to check how much longer she had until the nerve-racking confrontation was scheduled to take place.

It was just after two o'clock. Less than two hours till the duel.

Why did Drago have to leave it so late in the day? Couldn't he have demanded they duel right then and there so she didn't have to wait in stressful anticipation for her humiliating defeat?

"Eshe, you needn't fret so much. From what I observed, Drago is an arrogant man who has little respect for those around him. I have no doubt you will prevail."

Atem's words came soft-spoken, yet so sure. She raised her head to find him staring at her with such a heartfelt expression that it left her moderately bewildered; the sincerity in his voice surprised her and sent a wonderful tingle up her spine.

Eshe said nothing, but responded with a smile and a very slight nod before they were interrupted by the sound of Joey's enthusiastic yelling.

" _Hey!_ Did you guys have _fun_?!" the blond called, waving them over. Joey had a somewhat sly look on his face in the form of a raised eyebrow and crooked smirk; the emphasis on the last word of his question led Eshe to believe the boy was trying to imply something. It seemed the blond wasn't done with teasing her like he had done at the mall earlier in the week.

Perhaps he was referring to the way Atem's hand was curled comfortably around her own, and the still-heated pinkness in Eshe's cheeks.

Eshe brushed off Joey's comment with a roll of her eyes and a brisk response, "Yes, the rollercoaster was just as fun a second time round."

Yugi readily handed the Millennium Puzzle back to Atem, who seemed happy to have the pyramid-shaped pendant back around his neck.

"So, Atem faced his fear of super fast roller coasters", Tristan spoke, "are you convinced now that you stand a chance of winning against this Drago jerk?"

Eshe smiled slightly and nodded, "Yes, I suppose I'm feeling a little better about it", she turned to the tanned boy beside her, "thank you, Atem."

The resulting upwards curl of Atem's lips at her proclamation only served to cement her determination to beat the callous loser known as Donnie Drago.

* * *

 _The sandy bank of the Nile was gloriously peaceful in the early evening sun that bathed Eshe and Atem in tranquil warmth; there was no wind and the water was still, undisturbed. The two royals sat shoulder to shoulder, breathing in the strong scent of papyrus from the green reeds that surrounded them on either side._

 _Quiet, calm and placid was the atmosphere, just the way Eshe liked it. The only movement came from the tiny ripples in the water as fish occasionally surfaced for air._

 _The sun was slowly setting, not yet having reached the horizon, and the clear sky above formed a gorgeous blue-to-gold gradient as it neared the distant skyline. The scenery ahead made for a magnificent infusion of the desert's reds and browns, accumulating into a peppering of greenery brought forth by the foliage encompassing the life of the large river before them._

 _The soft glowing silhouette of several old temple structures loomed tall on the opposite side of the Nile, and only added to the gentle ambience around them._

 _Eshe's hand was held coyly between both of Atem's palms, and his head tilted towards her when he broke the comfortable silence._

" _Eshe", he whispered, so as not to unsettle the muted environment, "I'm glad you're here with me."_

 _The princess turned her head towards him, gasping softly at his earnest words, and opened her mouth to respond in kind._

 _She was interrupted, however, by the exasperated whine of a girl entering the clearing not too far behind them, followed by the stern reprimanding voice of an older man._

" _Master Mahad, I promise I didn't mean to! I must have said the spell wrong, I'm sorry!" came the squeaky, enthused voice of Mana as she flopped down onto the ground, embarrassed for her apparent magical mishap._

 _It was clear what was wrong as Mahad followed her into the clearing, his arms crossed over his chest in what appeared to be a very unamused stance - Eshe knew better though, the barely-there upwards curl of his lip showed that he wasn't actually frustrated with his student, and did in fact find the situation rather funny._

" _On any other day, perhaps I would be impressed, but I truly do not know how you manage to incorrectly execute a simple levitation spell, and instead turn my robes to such an opulent colour."_

 _The usual gold-trimmed, pristine white linen that Mahad frequently adorned had been transformed into an extraordinarily bright mauve._

 _Mana's face was red, "I didn't do it on purpose, master, I swear!"_

 _The young magician's apprentice had had trying times attempting to accomplish certain spells that a lot of magic-users flourished at; it wasn't anything to do with Mana being unskilled, but rather her inability to recall the correct incantations._

" _I believe you, Mana", Mahad spoke, a hint of amusement in his tone, "you must keep practising, and eventually you will master the simpler spells with ease. You are a gifted magician", the master encouraged, and the smile that lit up Mana's face could easily outshine the sun itself._

 _At once, Mana seemed to acknowledge the presence of the prince and princess sitting on the bank staring at them._

" _Oh! Atem, Eshe! I didn't see you there!" she squeaked, her attention immediately drawn away from her lessons to center on her friends._

 _With a soft sigh, Mahad shook his head, "Your concentration could also use a little work…"_

 _Atem laughed as Mana cheerfully sat down beside them and the master magician followed behind. "I wouldn't be too hard on her, Mahad. You look good in purple!" the young prince exclaimed, and Eshe bit her lip to hide a giggle._

 _Mahad relented his authoritative composure and let himself smile at the prince's playful teasing..._

"Eshe, hey, are you okay?"

The girl in question shot up straight in her seat, blinking her bleary eyes to help push the cloud of slumber out of her mind; she reached up to massage the bridge of her nose and let out a quiet groan, "damn, did I fall asleep?"

Beside her, Téa nodded, a clear fragment of concern in her eyes; the brown-haired girl placed a hand on Eshe's shoulder gently and whispered, "I was afraid you were having another blackout or something."

Eshe appreciated the hushed tone with which Téa spoke, the last thing she wanted was for the others of the group to hear that the strange blackouts Eshe was experiencing had happened more than once.

"No, no, I just fell asleep… I think. Haven't been sleeping well. You know, cause of the nightmares…" Eshe responded in the same quiet voice, sparing a glance to the others sitting along the bench.

They were all too absorbed in the show they were currently watching to notice the faint conversation of the two girls; ahead on the stage were two professional actors dressed as the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, putting on a rather exciting magic show. The group had searched for something to pass the time with until Eshe's duel, and rather interestingly they had found a theatre that showed a frequent magic performance at allotted times. Kaiba really had thought of everything.

Eshe smiled slightly, "I just had a dream actually- not a nightmare- about the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl… except they were-"

Téa tilted her head as Eshe paused, remaining silent so as to let her finish her thought.

"-they were complete dorks."

Téa bit her lip to muffle a snort, "Sounds about right", she giggled, an almost knowing look in her eyes; Eshe was about to question it when Joey leaned forward in his seat to raise an eyebrow at them.

"What're you two snickering about?"

Before Téa or Eshe could respond, their attention was drawn back to the stage as the Dark Magician pulled off an impressive trick, seemingly conjuring a bouquet of flowers from thin air, and the audience gave an 'ooo' of fascination.

Eshe smiled as some of the younger children in the audience applauded, clapping their hands in excited mystification; the Dark Magician handed his apprentice the bouquet of flowers, and she promptly transformed them with dramatic sleight of hand into a basketball, wowing the viewers.

An impressive trick; clearly the Dark Magician Girl was a tad more skilled in her magic tricks than the Mana of her dreams.

Speaking of her dream…

 _Eshe, I'm glad you're here with me._

The words dream-Atem spoke to her echoed in her head with such fine clarity that Eshe had a hard time believing it wasn't real; she leaned forward slightly, catching sight of Atem sitting on the other side of Yugi a few seats down. He seemed very attentive of the magical performance taking place on stage, and watched the actors execute each trick with rapt curiosity. It was a heartening sight.

In that moment, her dream felt like a distant memory; the whole mood of it was otherworldly, and yet, there was something vivid about it. The strength of the residual emotions she felt as Téa had awoken her was undeniable.

Or perhaps her dreams were trying to tell her to hang on to this boy, to not let him get away.

* * *

Eyeing the concrete heavily, Eshe fidgeted, squeezing and pulling on her own fingers with nervous tenor because there was nothing better to do to keep her mind off of the inevitable.

She knew the group was waiting for her to announce ' _hey, it's almost four o'clock. We should head to the duel arena now!_ ' but she didn't want to bring it up, because that meant it was inescapable, it was really happening.

"Hey, Eshe", Joey spoke up with a spry voice, "Maybe we should start heading to the duel arena now? It's almost four o'clock."

 _Damn it._

Eshe looked up as she cleared her throat, pretending to be surprised at the time displayed on her watch as if she hadn't been glancing at it periodically for the last three hours.

"Oh, yes… you're right. I guess we should…" her unenthusiastic reply came as no surprise to the rest of the group, and they immediately lurched into action to raise her spirits.

"Enough doubting ya'self Eshe! You're an awesome duelist!" Joey exclaimed, a wide smile on his face as he clapped a hand on her back.

"Absolutely! And we'll be there with you all the way, so don't worry!" Téa chimed in, her face glowing with commendable determination.

Tristan flashed her a grin, "Give it all you've got and show no mercy!"

Yugi gave her a thumbs up, "You've got this, Eshe!"

' _Alright, no pressure. All your friends expect you to kick this guys ass._ ' Eshe thought to herself, swallowing thickly. She forced a smile, "Thanks guys."

With a flicker of apprehension, Eshe glanced at Atem, who was offering her a small smile; his soft gaze like a much-needed comfort, Eshe silently implored him to deliver his ever-helpful advice and words of amenity.

"...and even if you don't win the duel, it's not the end of the world", Atem spoke, "there is nothing at stake, and we won't think any less of you."

How was it that Atem always knew the _exact_ words to say that would make her feel better?

Eshe let out a sigh of relief; they were the words she had needed to hear all this time, and immediately she felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

Atem wasn't quite prepared as Eshe threw her arms around him and held him tightly, " _thank you_ , Atem."

She could feel the heat rising from his cheeks when he moved his arms to hug her back, and Eshe could _feel_ the amusement from the rest of the group behind them despite the fact none of them made a peep.

Eshe could have held onto Atem forever, relaxed in his firm arms, the heat of his body rising through his clothes and encompassing her in a soft and secure embrace while she rested her chin on his shoulder.

Unfortunately, she saw something that made her double-take and tense up.

Eshe saw, over Atem's shoulder, a boy walking towards the group - an interestingly familiar boy. Brown eyes and long, cascading white hair falling below his shoulders.

It was Bakura, the guy from her dream - the one who had crashed dream-Atem's coronation celebrations and caused mayhem. He looked identical to him, apart from the fact that the boy before her had pale skin instead of the tanned Egyptian complexion of the one in her dream.

"Eshe?" Atem had felt her whole body go stiff and had pulled back to observe her somewhat spooked face. He turned, following her gaze just as the white-haired boy reached them.

"Bakura!?" Yugi exclaimed, and Eshe released Atem to take a startled step back.

He even had the same name as the one in her dream. It couldn't be a coincidence.

"Hey guys!" Bakura greeted with a bright smile, "I knew I'd see you around somewhere!"

His accent was pleasant, and his tone was soft-spoken, unlike the manic monster in Eshe's dream; his smile was a lot friendlier too. Eshe noticed Atem was staring at her with concern, and she shook her head slightly, forcing a smile, before turning to Bakura with a wary look.

"Uh- I'm sorry, have we… met before?" Eshe asked cautiously, her stance was anything but comfortable as Bakura looked at her and blinked curiously.

"I don't think so", he responded after a moment of contemplation, and then his soft smile returned, "My name is Bakura, it's nice to meet you- what's your name?"

Eshe swallowed, head still buzzing with confusion over how this boy she'd never met could have appeared in her dream, "Uh- it's, uhm… Eshe."

Bakura bowed his head politely and Eshe quickly did the same before stuttering, "I- I'm sure… we must have met, you seem familiar?"

The white-haired boy frowned and raised an eyebrow, shaking his head ever so slightly; Atem eyes shifted between Bakura and Eshe, an inquisitive expression on his face, before he hesitantly spoke.

"Bakura was with us during the Battle City tournament, perhaps that's where you know him from?" Atem suggested, blinking his eyes searchingly, obviously a little perturbed by Eshe's rigid posture and defensive mistrust of the white-haired boy.

Eshe eyes shifted, giving Bakura a once-over, nodding slightly to show she'd acknowledged Atem's words. It was entirely possible that Eshe had seen Bakura in footage from the Battle City duels and her subconscious mind had just stored him away for later; she did once read that the faces people see in dreams often belong to individuals they have walked past on the street - while they don't consciously remember them, their mind still inadvertently recalls their appearance.

But then there was the fact that Eshe seemed to already know his name; perhaps Yugi had mentioned him in passing or she had heard him mentioned in the few Battle City interviews she'd watched. She wracked her brain for an answer, but couldn't remember an instance where she had learnt Bakura's name.

The thought didn't dawdle in her mind for too long, however, because rather abruptly Eshe realised that something Atem had told her seemed to be… _off._

Eshe glanced at the tanned boy, eyebrows knitted and questioning, "What did you say?"

Atem frowned, his eyes flickering to the others in the group, who shrugged back at him, "I said, Bakura was with us in Battle City, so that might be the reason you recognise him?"

She could tell her unblinking stare was actually beginning to make him feel uncomfortable - well at least now he knew what Eshe felt when they had first met - and she opened her mouth to cautiously repeat.

"He was with you at Battle City?"

"...Yes?" Atem tilted his head, most likely wondering what was so confusing about that statement.

Eshe watched him a moment longer, "But _you_ weren't at Battle City."

Atem's eye twitched, a barely noticeable flutter of the muscles in his face, and his mouth fell open to respond, he paused, and then slammed his mouth shut. The boy's eyebrows shot up and he blinked rapidly; a graceless tumble of 'um's and 'uh's left his throat as he hurried to produce an explanation for his false statement.

"He meant Bakura was with _us_!" Téa quickly reiterated, drawing Eshe's attention.

"But he said… he said _us_ like it included him", Eshe responded, her mind a muddle of confusion. Something wasn't adding up, and now Atem's eyes were shifting up and to the right, an unconscious movement that one usually did when they were fabricating a story.

"Um…" Atem shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I meant, he was with them… I was… in Egypt…"

 _Lie._

It was almost amusing to see Atem lose his composure and attempt to formulate a way to quickly cover his accidental slip, except Eshe couldn't make heads or tails of what said _accidental slip_ actually meant. Was Atem actually on Kaiba's blimp during Battle City? If he was, why was it a huge secret that the truth needed to be inverted?

Throughout the odd conversation, Bakura had remained silent, but clearly the awkwardness of the situation became too much eventually, and he broke the silence with a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck distractedly.

"Uh, _anyway_ , do you guys mind if I hang around with you for the rest of the day? It'd be nice to catch up!" the white-haired boy looked hopeful.

"Of course, buddy! We were just on our way to the dueling arena. Eshe here has a challenge awaiting her!" Joey answered, a bright smile on his face as he diverted the conversation back to the original subject before Bakura had turned up.

All suspicion immediately drained out of Eshe's mind as she remembered the imminent confrontation. Her nerves vibrated uncomfortably again as Joey suggested they get a move on, so as not to turn up late.

"We've got five minutes, guys! It's halfway across the park, we gotta dash if we wanna get there on time!" Tristan exclaimed, and Eshe groaned.

 _Running. Great._

* * *

The looming height of the duel arena dome was dispiriting, doing nothing to help stifle the trembling of Eshe's fingers as she squirmed before the entrance, taking deep breaths to refill the oxygen to her burning lungs. She hesitated before the entrance and felt a tender hand on her back, encouraging her forwards; Atem stood beside her, supportive and promising, and it urged her forwards.

The inside was even bigger than the outside, and Eshe found herself thinking, ' _If this is the arena, then the duel stadium must be the size of a small country…_ '

In the center, two duelists were mid-game on the raised platform, and seated in the audience encompassing them were upwards of a hundred people - though the arena was full primarily of empty seats.

Eshe took a shaky breath and advanced closer to the platform where she could see Donnie Drago standing around with smug complacency among his group of friends. The duel taking place seemed to be coming to a close with one of the duelists raking in a clear lead with lifepoints; Eshe assumed it wouldn't be long until she had to step up and face the pompous jerk.

"Well, look who decided to show up after all", Drago laughed, upon catching sight of Eshe and the rest of her troupe; he jumped up and stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

Eshe steeled herself and cleared her throat before responding, "Of course. I wasn't going to back down from the challenge, especially not against _you_."

She had been _very_ ready to back down from the challenge until her friends had convinced her to give it her all, and now she stood with solid determination, driven to teach this guy a lesson.

Still terrified, but persistent.

The duel between the two boys on the platform came to an end, one reigning victorious over the other, and Eshe watched as they both moved to shake hands and congratulate each other on a fun duel. If Eshe believed this was how her duel was going to end - with friendly compliments - then perhaps she wouldn't have been fretting so much; but it was clear from Drago's personality that he wasn't the type to felicitate those he beat.

Drago opened his mouth to speak, but Eshe interrupted him quickly, yearning to take the initiative and perhaps try and draw confidence out of thin air, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do this." Her expression was hardened, eyebrows knitted with a deep frown.

The redhead raised an eyebrow and smirked, "So eager to get your ass beat?"

Eshe didn't entertain the boy with a response, instead she simply stepped around him and moved towards the steps leading to the elevated platform; she heard Drago huff and mutter something to his friends before he too sauntered around the stage towards his own side.

With a glance towards the viewing area, Eshe caught sight of her friend's supportive smiles, and she rhythmically clenched and unclenched her fists to exercise the nerves out of her body.

She controlled her breathing, and pulled out her deck to shuffle and cut it; Drago was doing the same, except his snarling smirk was directed right at her. She didn't like the way his eyes were shining in amusement.

"By the way", Drago spoke up all of a sudden, and Eshe's stomach did somersaults at the sound of his nefarious tone, "we _are_ dueling by Battle City rules, meaning we each have to bet our rarest card on the outcome."

Eshe felt all colour drain from her face, and her hands paused in their shuffling; her eyes shifted to her friends who were glaring at Drago with a mix of distaste and revulsion.

"Hey! You didn't say that before!" Joey called out, followed by Tristan's snap of agreement.

"You can't decide new rules after the challenge is accepted!" the brown-haired boy yelled, and Eshe was forever glad that she had friends ready to loudly stand up for her.

Drago regarded them with contempt, and then faced Eshe again, "Battle City rules are default here, you should have known. Now which card are you wagering?"

Eshe's hands were shaking, she placed her deck down and pressed her palms flat to what would soon be the playing field in an attempt to hide her nervous tremors.

If she were to demand they play without the ante, everyone in the room would think she was a sore loser; Eshe swallowed thickly, glancing at Atem out of the corner of her eye. He had told her there were no stakes and that losing the duel would mean nothing, his words had been comforting and had grounded her fears for a time.

But there were stakes now.

If she lost the duel, she would lose her rarest, but more importantly, _favourite_ card to this repugnant man opposing her. She couldn't let that happen, she _had_ to defeat him now.

"My card is-" Eshe hesitated, stumbling over her words, "- _Alector, Sovereign of Birds_. That is my rarest card", she spoke reluctantly.

"Tch. Never heard of it. I'll wager my _Darkflare Dragon_ ", Drago returned with smug intent, he finished shuffling his cards and placed them down on his field, "Now, since I'm a gentleman, I'll let the little girl go first."

His patronising tone made her feel sick, but what was worse was the fact that due to Eshe's vibrating anxiety, she didn't trust herself to retaliate without stuttering like a fool; therefore, grudgingly, she drew her cards and began the duel.

The game commenced at the signalling noise of their lifepoints being displayed on the monitors above at eight-thousand each. Eshe stared down at her cards without acknowledging them, the fear and doubt in her mind spiraling wildly as she realised that all eyes in the room were most likely on her.

A trail of expletives travelled through her mind, if she didn't play a card soon then she would end up a laughing stock; her eyes narrowed on the cards in her hands as she attempted to form some semblance of a plan.

She held the card _Mind Haxorz_ , a trap card which allowed the user to take a good look at their opponent's hand and face down cards at the cost of five-hundred lifepoints. Eshe regained her composure somewhat, figuring that she'd go with her usual strategy to get an idea of her opponent's deck theme before she made any rash decisions.

Swallowing the saliva that had pooled in her mouth, Eshe spoke, "I'll place a card face down", she pressed the trap card down against the playing field, her eyes quickly skimming the remaining cards she held, "and I'll summon _Warrior Lady of the Wasteland_ in attack mode, and equip it with the spell card _Black Pendant_."

The monster appeared as a hologram on the field in the form of an attractive woman clad in green clothing with a dusty brown cloak; her sword held poised and ready to attack. Alone, the monster possessed 1100 attack points, but paired with the equip spell card, her attack rose to 1600.

Eshe looked towards her friends, searching for approval, and their smiles were evidence enough that she had been able to come across strong on her first turn.

Good. _Good._

Perhaps this really wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I'll end my turn", Eshe stated, returning her gaze to Drago with renewed vigour.

 **E:8000/D:8000**

Unimpressed, Drago drew from his deck, and immediately Eshe interrupted him.

"I activate my facedown card, _Mind Haxorz,_ which means I get a peek at your hand", Eshe declared, her lifepoints declining by 500.

Drago smirked, "Not that it'll help you", he spoke, before his cards materialised in holograms before Eshe for easier viewing. Her eyes scanned the cards, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

In his hand, he had a couple of magic cards, the trap card _Magic Cylinder,_ two dragon type monsters and the monster card _Lord of D._

Dragons, it seemed, were Donnie Drago's speciality. If Eshe were bolder, she would take a jab at him for being a Seto Kaiba-wannabe; unfortunately for her she was neither brash nor bold in that moment and she let a look of dread overcome her at the sight of the strong monster cards.

She was in trouble already, she could tell.

"Are you quite finished gawking at my cards?" Drago hissed and gave a malicious laugh, "Well then, I'll begin my turn by summoning _Lord of D_ in attack mode, then I'll play my magic card, _Flute of Summoning Dragon_ , which lets me summon two dragons from my hand when _Lord of D_ is on the field!"

 _Oh dear._

Drago had three monsters facing her; the creepy _Lord of D_ with 1200 attack, _Luster Dragon_ with it's 1900 attack, and finally, _Axe Dragonute_ who had a sizeable 2000 attack.

Immediately, the bully launched into his attacking phase and targeted Eshe's _Warrior Lady_ with _Axe Dragonute._

"The catch with _Axe Dragonute_ is that following its attack, it automatically chances position to defense mode", Drago explained.

"Good", Eshe grumbled, "and because you destroyed my _Warrior Lady_ , the equipped card _Black Pendant_ is destroyed and it's effect activates, taking 500 lifepoints away from you."

"Whatever", Drago snorted, "that's nothing compared to what you're in for-"

"Not so fast!" Eshe exclaimed, " _Warrior Lady_ also has a special effect! When she's sent to the graveyard, I can special summon an earth warrior monster from my deck with 1500 attack or less! So I summon _Tactical Espionage Expert_!"

The monster appeared on the field and Eshe breathed a sigh of relief knowing she wasn't going to suffer a direct attack _just_ yet; however, her new monster had only 1300 attack, and wasn't going to be able to stand up to Drago's _Luster Dragon_.

"A pointless move. _Luster Dragon_ attacks!"

Eshe bit her lip as she was left defenseless, her lifepoints dropping by 600, and Drago continued to attack her directly with _Lord of D_ , subtracting a further 1200.

Eshe's field was vulnerable, devoid of monsters; she needed to draw something good on her upcoming turn or her opponent would run circles around her the next time he chose to attack.

"I'll end my turn by placing a card facedown", Drago's conceited voice echoed, piercing through her worries; Eshe grit her teeth and glanced down at her deck.

' _Come on, I need something good, please._ '

 **E:5300/D:7500**

Tentatively, Eshe drew her next card.

Her eyes lit up as her fear alleviated ever so slightly; _Swords of Revealing Light_ would offer her a few more chances to draw a card that could advance her offense - it could certainly delay the potential beating she anticipated.

"I play _Swords of Revealing Light_!" Her lifepoints were safe for three turns, and Drago rolled his eyes, apparently frustrated that Eshe had put a hindrance on his offense for now.

Eshe's panic abated, knowing the duel wasn't over yet; she eyed the remaining two cards in her hand and her lip curled upwards slightly in a smile.

"I summon _Raging Flame Sprite_ in attack mode!"

From the viewing area, Joey blanched, "Only 100 attack!? Why would she summon that card?" the blond blinked and then quietened his voice, leaning into Atem to add, "Wait, is this one of Eshe's bluffing moves?"

Atem shook his head, a small smile pulling at his lips as he observed the new monster - a little elfin creature with staff of flames, "Actually, Joey, that monster has a helpful effect. It might only have 100 attack, but it can attack the opponent directly, and every time it does, it gains 1000 attack."

Yugi smiled, "Paired with _Swords of Revealing Light_ , that monster has the potential to be dangerous."

Téa grinned and called out, "Good job, Eshe!"

Eshe smiled at the praise, back straightening with growing aplomb, and pointed her finger towards her adversary, " _Raging Flame Sprite_ , attack him directly!"

Drago let out a snooty huff as his lifepoints dropped by 100, "You're gonna have to do better than that, _girl_."

Eshe's eyes narrowed on the redhead, before her eyes flitted briefly around the room; immediately, she was reminded that people were watching the duel with avid interest and this wasn't just between her and her foe. The thought sent an unpleasant shudder up her spine.

"I end my turn."

 **E:5300/D:7400**

Drago drew and glared down at his hand; he changed his _Axe Dragonute_ back to attack mode and ended his turn. Eshe released a breath and drew her next card.

"I play _Pot of Greed_ , which lets me draw two cards-"

"Yes", Drago snapped, "I _know_ what _Pot of Greed_ does, I'm a regional champion."

Eshe bit her lip to hide a smirk as she drew her two extra cards and examined them closely, "I summon _Whirlwind Prodigy_ in attack mode and I'll attack your _Lord of D_ with it."

Drago lost 300 lifepoints due to the superior attacking power of Eshe's monster, and _Lord of D_ was sent to the graveyard, to her opponent's dismay.

"Now I'll attack you directly once again with my _Flame Sprite_!" Eshe licked her lips as Drago's lifepoints dropped another 1100, and her monster's attack points grew due to it's useful effect.

 **E:5300/D:6000**

"My turn!" Donnie barked, drawing a card, "I play _Pot of Greed_!"

The redhead drew two extra cards and let out a venomous laugh, "Now you're in trouble, _little girl!_ " His condescending attitude was really starting to piss Eshe off. "I play _Mystical Space Typhoon_ , say goodbye to your _Swords of Revealing Light_!"

Eshe gasped as her magical defense disintegrated, her eyes landing on her exposed monsters.

' _No, it's okay. It's alright. My Flame Sprite is still stronger than his monsters-_ '

"I sacrifice my _Axe Dragonute_ to bring forth my _Darkflare Dragon_!"

Eshe's heart pounded in her chest at the newest development; the intimidating dragon of black, red and blue materialised in _Axe Dragonute'_ s place, a ring of fire circling it. She knew it was impossible, but for a moment Eshe swore she could feel the heat on her face.

The frightening beast had 2400 attack points and its roar was deafening; Eshe grit her teeth, this certainly put a damper in her plans.

The huge dragon wasted no time in tearing down her _Raging Flame Sprite_ , and Drago swiftly sent his _Luster Dragon_ after her _Whirlwind Prodigy_ , costing Eshe a total of 700 lifepoints.

"By the look on your face, I'd say you know this isn't gonna end well for you", Drago taunted, and Eshe quickly shut her mouth which she didn't realise had been hanging open.

Eshe's eyes fell to her empty field and she felt a lump rise in her throat; the telltale feeling of an ache was beginning to fluctuate behind her eyes. This was the worst time to be getting a stress headache.

Suddenly, her friend's voices plowed through her mounting alarm.

"Don't give up, Eshe!" Tristan yelled.

"You can still win this!" Yugi added, and Eshe steadied her shaking hands, forcing her fortitude to return.

Her friends believed in her, she couldn't disappoint them when they wanted to see Drago fall flat on his ass. Atem's earlier words echoed in her mind.

 _If you believe in the heart of the cards, your deck will reward you with the cards you need to beat him._

Atem had his ever-charming, encouraging smile pointed in Eshe's direction; she just had to believe in the heart of the cards, and she would win.

It was her turn, so she drew her next card, keeping her faith as strong as it could be.

' _Speaking of faith…_ '

She had drawn a monster, the _Magician of Faith_ , although it was a low-level card, it did have a handy special effect. "I'll place a card facedown and end my turn."

 **E:4600/D:6000**

Eshe's opponent attacked off the bat following his draw phase, _Luster Dragon_ eliminated her _Magician of Faith_ and she quickly retrieved the spell card _Pot of Greed_ from the graveyard thanks to her monster's effect.

"Now I'll attack you directly with my _Darkflare Dragon_!"

The redhead barked with laughter as Eshe flinched from the holograms attack, unable to remain steely and unblinking beneath the onslaught; her face turned red from the embarrassment of her reaction.

 **E:2200/D:6000**

Eshe gazed up at the monitor displaying her dwindling lifepoints; it was beginning to appear unlikely that she'd win given the hefty lead Drago held, but if she admitted defeat now, she would lose _Alector_.

She ran a hand through her hair and drew at the start of her turn; immediately playing the newly revived _Pot of Greed_ to draw two more cards.

It wasn't the end.

"I discard one card to the graveyard in order to play the spell card _Lightning Vortex_ ", Eshe spoke with a relieved smile.

"Ugh, you bitch!" Drago snapped as all his monsters were destroyed.

' _Well, that takes care of that_ ', Eshe thought, ignoring the derogatory insult, "now I'll summon _Stealth Bird_ in attack mode and attack you directly!"

Her trusty bird monster stole 700 of Drago's lifepoints, and she quickly activated its effect to flip it into face down defense, "This isn't over, Drago. Not yet."

Donnie grunted his displeasure and drew for his turn; he clicked his tongue in frustration and set a card face down, ending his turn as quickly as it had begun.

 **E:2200/D:5300**

Eshe smirked, a cocky delight surging through her at her opponent's dud draw, "My turn", she stated, and drew her card.

Her face lit up in excitement as she examined her card, _Monster Reborn!_

With this card, she could revive Drago's _Darkflare Dragon_ to her side of the field and then he'd be the one quaking in his boots.

"I activate my trap!" Drago announced, and his facedown card rose to reveal _Drop Off_ , "This card forces you to discard the card you just drew!"

Eshe grit her teeth, glaring at her opponent as she discarded the very useful card- she inwardly cursed herself for losing control of her poker face. What was wrong with her? She was always good when it came to bluffing; if she'd managed to keep her expression level then it probably wouldn't led Drago to trigger his trap card.

"I flip _Stealth Bird_ face up, and thanks to its neat little effect, you lose 1000 lifepoints", Eshe spoke, and Drago let free an audible growl, "next, I'll attack you directly!"

The sound of Drago's lifepoint metre dropping was quite satisfying; she was beginning to gain on his lead and she let out an appeased exhale at the prospect of winning this duel.

She activated her _Stealth Bird_ 's secondary effect and flipped it once more into face down defense, before ending her turn.

 **E:2200/D:3600**

"Oh, come on", Donnie grumbled under his breath as he drew, "I play _Blue Medicine_."

 _Blue Medicine_ was a simple magic card that raised Drago's lifepoints back to 4000, but it seemed that was all he was able to carry out for his turn, and Eshe figured it was her time to be an egotistical hotshot.

 **E:2200/D:4000**

"Having some issues there, Drago?" she taunted him with the spark of boldness that flared up out of nowhere, and the redhead hissed back at her, his face an ugly twist of bitterness.

"I wouldn't act so high and mighty, kid, you're still losing", Donnie spat, "I can't wait to see you _fail_!"

"That's not gonna happen", Eshe retaliated with a smirk, giving a quick glance to her friends who were cheering at her reinvigorated confidence.

Eshe drew from her deck and her cheeks flushed with elation; in her hand she held _Alector, Sovereign of Birds._

She could do it. _She could win._

Eshe swallowed, adding the card to her hand, she motioned her face down monster, "First, I'll flip _Stealth Bird_ back up, dealing you 1000 points of damage!"

Drago sneered as his lifepoints dropped down to 3000; the abrupt noise of commotion drew Eshe's attention away from her duel and towards the audience. People were gasping and pointing up at the spectator's stand with surprised amazement.

Eshe followed their gazes and her apprehension rose like a rocket.

Seto Kaiba; _the_ Seto Kaiba was standing in the spectator's area, leaning against the railing as he watched the duel below. Eshe swallowed, trying desperately not to let the appearance of this _celebrity_ distract her. She couldn't lose focus now, it could cost her the duel.

"Um… uh… next, I'll tribute my _Stealth Bird_ to summon _Alector, Sovereign of Birds!_ "

Eshe's eyes shined as her favourite monster materialised in red and silver glory; she bit her lip to restrain the wide grin that would no doubt make her look like a crazy fool.

"Tch. It's not enough to win, kid." Drago spat, rolling his eyes at her misplaced enthusiasm.

It wasn't misplaced, however. Eshe was right to be enthused, for she had yet to play the remaining card in her hand.

"Now I'll equip my _Alector_ with the spell card _United We Stand_! This raises it's attack by 800 points, giving it a total of 3200!"

Eshe almost giggled from the rapture; she was about to win her first proper public duel with holograms, and Seto Kaiba was watching! The vain desire to please the young billionaire drove her next action fearlessly.

"Your field has no monsters, Drago, this is it! _Alector,_ attack him directly!"

"I activate my facedown card."

Eshe froze, having forgotten about the mysterious facedown card that had been sitting on Drago's side of the field since his very first turn.

 _Magic Cylinder._

Eshe's lifepoints hit zero.

* * *

 **Notes: If you spy a Yu-Gi-Oh card that didn't actually exist until the GX series or later then I'm really sorry! I never know what generation the cards belong to but I do try and keep them retro or, at the very latest, from the GX series.**


	18. When You Try Your Best

Transcending Time

Chapter Seventeen: When You Try Your Best But You Don't Succeed

On Eshe's ninth birthday, she received her first Duel Monsters cards in a booster pack given to her by her aunt; an occurrence which Eshe recalled vividly given the woman's track record for presenting her with gifts she actually asked for. Her interest in the game had started off with a desire to collect as many different types of cards as possible, and slowly it had morphed into a longing to actually learn how to play the game.

Eshe didn't have many friends as a child, and the only opportunity that arose for her to learn the rules of Duel Monsters was under the coaching of her classroom's resident weird kid.

Personally, Eshe didn't think he was too weird, but then again she was also considered the _weird_ kid of the class; so really they were akin to two peas in a pod.

His name was Joshua, and he was the best Duel Monsters player at the school; he could easily beat anyone who challenged him, but he was never smug about it. He was just happy that someone wanted to play with him, and he would smile sincerely every time he won before congratulating and thanking his opponent for playing a good game.

Unfortunately, due to his resolute talent in the game and his virtuous nature, the rest of the children in the class alienated Joshua and refused to talk to him.

It was upsetting to remember the confusion and hurt look on Joshua's face when he was told to _get lost_ by his classmates for seemingly no reason, but Eshe would never forget the way the boy's face lit up when she asked Joshua to teach her how to play the popular card game.

The little friendship that bloomed between them did not last long. Joshua moved away six months later, and once again Eshe was alone.

Despite having an understanding of how to play the game, Eshe was not very good at winning. Her confidence was shrivelled and her cards were very average; she did not receive enough pocket money to purchase the rarer booster packs, and her aunt and uncle _rarely_ treated her to such items out of the kindness of their hearts.

On Eshe's tenth birthday, she took a walk in the park near her home.

It was midday, and the sun shone down brightly from above, bathing the grassy field in a gorgeous glow while the wind breezed softly, making the daisies dance.

Eshe sat alone on the park bench, shuffling idly through her deck of cards, chewing at her bottom lip while she judged the usefulness of her low level monsters. She sighed softly; the low level monsters wouldn't be a problem if she had the right trap and spell cards to compliment them, but alas, she did not.

The sudden sound of flapping wings and a blur of black caught her attention, she glanced across the bench to the crow that had perched down on the opposite armrest. With a smile, she greeted it as if saying hello to a human, and the bird ruffled its feathers and itself comfortable.

Eshe continued to sort through her deck, and the bird appeared interested - cocking its head curiously at the cards she held, before swooping off in a hurry.

Assuming the crow had important business to attend to, Eshe placed her deck on the bench beside her and leant back slightly on the bench, closing her eyes to appreciate the warmth of the sun on her skin.

The returning flutter of wings almost startled Eshe as the crow returned, landing much closer than before, and Eshe let out a soft noise of surprise. The bird was carrying a Duel Monsters card in its beak, and placed it meticulously down by Eshe's deck, before hopping up onto the bench's armrest once more.

Eshe raised an eyebrow, reaching slowly for the card to turn it over and examine it.

 _Alector, Sovereign of Birds._

With an amused smile, Eshe looked back at the crow inquisitively, wondering where the bird could have seized the card from; there was every possibility that the bird had plucked it right out of the hands of another kid, but Eshe spared a glance around the field and saw no other people.

Perhaps the crow had gathered it from the ground alongside twigs and straw because it thought the colours on the card were pretty; it seemed a little scuffed around the edges but apart from that it was in good condition.

It appeared the crow had recognised the images on her Duel Monsters cards and perhaps thought it belonged to her.

What a wonderful thought.

The card was a strong monster with a hefty 2400 attack points; it was the strongest card Eshe had ever held in her hands, and this crow was giving it to her.

Her gratitude was ceaseless, and the crow gave the impression that it recognised her appreciation.

On Eshe's tenth birthday, she received a gift from a bird; a gift that succeeded in giving her the confidence to duel with her heart.

From that day, Eshe excelled, defeating her classmates in duels with her favourite and most powerful card, _Alector_. The monster was like a guide for her, boosting her morale the moment she drew it.

With _Alector_ , Eshe felt invincible.

Which was what made her loss all the more painful when her favourite card and long-time _friend_ was snatched aggressively from her hands by the victor of her duel.

Drago laughed loudly, his amusement spurred by the broken expression on Eshe's face. He held his prize up and his nasty band of friends cheered his name, spitting adverse insults in Eshe's direction.

She forgot about _Magic Cylinder_. How could she forget about _Magic Cylinder_?

She had been wary about it in the beginning, but as she'd moved closer to victory, her guard had lowered, and once Seto Kaiba turned up, she had forgotten completely about the hazardous facedown trap.

Her carelessness had cost her the duel.

Eshe flexed her fingers and clenched her jaw, attempting to construct a barrier around her wildly oscillating emotions; the last thing she wanted to do right now was cry in front of the abhorrent jerk that was still celebrating his win with irritating resonance.

"Eshe?"

She could feel the presence of her friends approaching behind her even before she heard Téa's voice, and the sound made her tense up; nevermind Drago - she couldn't let her friends see her cry.

Chancing a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw their faces; Téa held concern on her soft features, Tristan and Joey were glaring at Drago and his crew of misfits, Yugi appeared sympathetic, but Atem regarded Drago with an expression of animosity.

It was vaguely startling, and if it weren't for the slight tremor of his clenched fists and the perfect arch of his furrowed brow, then his resentful stare would look scarily hollow. The gorgeous purple irises had darkened into something dangerous.

"Drago." Atem spoke, his voice low, and Eshe swallowed the lump in her throat; she'd never heard him speak with such a serious cadence.

The redhead turned to look at them with ugly smugness all over his face, a look that did nothing to help Eshe push back the tears that were on the verge of welling in her eyes.

Drago suddenly seemed very aware of Eshe's emotional predicament, and his delight only grew in the face of her plight. He held up the _Alector_ card horizontally and motioned as if he were going to rip it in half.

" _No_ , please don't-!" Eshe cried, her voice breaking, her eyes immediately very watery.

"Why not?" Drago snorted, "this card belongs to me now. I can do what I want with it."

" _Drago_ ", Atem repeated, his voice raised; the suddenness of his shout sent a ripple of alarm through Eshe's body.

The redhead finally seemed to acknowledge Atem's presence, challenging the tanned boy's ferocious gaze with his own narrowed scowl, "Who the fuck are you?"

Eshe sniffed, blinking the tears away from her eyes, and her gaze turned upwards towards the spectator's area where Seto Kaiba still stood, arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at the group with clear disinterest. Drago was sounding precariously aggressive, once again seeming like he would lash out and initiate a fight at any moment; and Eshe briefly thought that at the very least, Kaiba could call for security if something like that were to happen.

Atem ignored the question, "I challenge you to a duel."

Eshe's mouth fell open as she gave Atem a wide-eyed look, "Atem, you don't have to-"

"Why the hell should I duel you? I don't even know who you are; you look like some Yugi Moto wannabe", Drago sneered, his expression held nothing but disdain for Atem.

"I'm his brother", Atem spoke evenly, calm and stable, "do you accept my challenge?"

Drago's mouth curled upwards, baring his stained teeth in an open grin, "Perhaps. What card would you wager?"

Atem paused, his eyes not leaving the grisly man before him, " _The Dark Magician_."

"Atem, don't. Don't risk your card for mine", Eshe spoke, placing her hand on his arm gingerly; the willingness Atem showed to compromise the safety of his and Yugi's favourite monster card for the possible return of her _Alector_ both moved and panicked her.

Drago seemed unimpressed, however, "Tch. I don't want your shitty spellcaster. Surely you have something better?"

Eshe noticed the way Atem's eyes twitched as Drago insulted the card; he reached into his deck-holder and produced something very different.

"How about _The Winged Dragon of Ra_?"

Eshe's sharp inhale pierced the resulting silence as Drago eyed the card with disbelief; the bully's mouth hung open as his eyes scanned the card for an extended moment. Although she noted the way Seto Kaiba uncrossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, Yugi and the others seemed completely unconcerned.

Drago's eyes shifted to Yugi, the boy he understood to be the rightful owner of the card, who stood with the others behind them, "Is that the _real_ one?"

Yugi turned his nose up defiantly, "It sure is."

Drago's toothy grin turned hungry, "Then _deal_."

"Atem, you _can't_ bet a God card! What are you doing?" Eshe squeaked, "It's not- it's not worth risking…" she trailed off, her lip quivering at her own words. While _Alector_ held a great deal of sentimental value for her, she couldn't let Atem wager such a powerful card all because she made a foolish mistake in her own duel.

Atem turned his gaze on Eshe at last, his hardened expression softening into a small smile; his hand rested over the one she clutched his arm with and he spoke softly, "Don't worry, Eshe", a hint of playful arrogance reached his tone, "I won't lose."

Drago crossed his arms and snorted, "You shouldn't act so cocky kid, it'll end up biting you in the ass."

Atem regarded the taller man with a look of burgeoning antipathy, and gruffly responded, "Perhaps you should take your own advice, Drago."

"Oh, I'm gonna have a lot of fun beating you into the ground, kid", were Drago's final scathing words before he spun around and began making his way, with heavy footsteps, back towards his side of the arena.

Eshe's hand tightened on Atem's arm as he made to move towards the opposing side of the raised platform, "Wait, Atem, you really don't have to do this! You could lose that card! Please just- just let it go-"

"Eshe", his firm, yet amiable voice silenced her, " _Alector_ belongs with you, not with him. I will win it back, I promise-"

His confidence was absolutely astounding; the way he spoke with such certainty was almost enough to convince Eshe that his duel would turn out fine, she only wished that she could possess the determination and backbone that Atem was demonstrating.

"-and I'm proud of you, for facing your fear of dueling with an audience."

Eshe felt her throat close up, and she looked away from him to try and hide the rebounding tears that were now most _definitely_ going to fall, despite her struggle to hold her emotions in.

Atem was _proud_ of her, even though she had imprudently lost.

Her hand loosened on his arm, and he stepped away to meet his own challenge; Eshe reflexively raised her hands to cover her face as the flood of tears came suddenly, her cheeks burned red from a mix of embarrassment and the abundant despondence.

Téa tried to comfort her with a hand on her back, "Eshe, hey, don't cry… it's okay…" she sounded upset to see one of her friends so emotionally vulnerable, but at that moment all Eshe could think about was the fact that there were so many people around to see her breaking down.

She turned quickly, hiding her face from the group as she walked briskly past them, keeping her head low so that her hair could hide her misery; she ignored the sound of her friends calling out to her and she ignored the curious, concerned gazes of everyone she passed.

It wasn't long before she found herself stumbling tearfully into the thankfully deserted toilets within the winding hallways surrounding the arena, locked herself in a stall and cried freely.

Why did Eshe have to have such an atrocious hold on her mental state?

She despised the fact that it was so easy for someone to bring her to tears, and that once the stinging in her eyes began, it was near impossible to quell. The only way she could stop crying now was to isolate herself, be alone, and wait for her eyes to dry.

Quiet sniffles emanated from the stall and she was glad no one seemed to be in need of the restroom, lest they hear her and inquire after her wellbeing.

Of course, when Eshe was crying, if someone tried to ask what was wrong, that _usually_ made her cry harder.

' _Ugh. There were so many people, I bet they all saw me break down…_ ' Eshe thought dismally, and then realised with a start that Seto Kaiba had also watched her run away crying. He must've thought her a childish fool to flee in tears following an embarrassing defeat; there was no way the young multi-millionaire could hold any respect for her after that humiliating display.

Eshe held her breath as the sound of the restroom door creaking open reached her ears, followed hesitantly by Téa's worrying voice, "Eshe? Are you in here?"

Letting out a sigh, Eshe sniffled, giving away her position whether she wanted to or not, "...yeah", she murmured quietly, and promptly heard Téa's footsteps pad across the tiled flooring to stop outside her stall.

"Are you alright?" Téa asked, and as predicted, Eshe's face scrunched up as a new wave of misery rolled over her, and she answered with a pathetic whimper.

"I know you're upset about losing the duel but you don't have to worry. Atem will get your card back", the brown-haired girl spoke with a delicately constructed tone of comfort.

"He shouldn't have wagered a God card like that. What if he loses it?" Eshe managed to bite out, her punctuated sharp breaths became frustrating as she tried to speak through them.

"He won't lose", Téa spoke through the stall door, the same impenetrable confidence in her tone that Eshe met with incredulity.

"How can you be so sure?"

There was a fond smile in Téa's voice as she responded, "Just… trust me."

Eshe swallowed and sighed, her quick breaths slowing to the point where it was easier to articulate her sentences. "If he's such a great duelist then how come I didn't know about him before we met?"

A moment of silence followed before Téa answered, "Atem doesn't really take the spotlight all that much…"

It was an odd reply, and Eshe couldn't decipher exactly what Téa meant by what she said, so she let it slide for now.

"Why don't you come out of there?" Téa continued to speak, not unkindly, and Eshe wiped her eyes with her balled fists.

"I look like a mess", the tanned girl whimpered, her tears had stopped falling so quickly, but her sinuses were stuffed up with emotion and her cheeks must have held an unsightly red tint.

"I'm sure you look fine, Eshe", Téa offered gently, and Eshe snorted in response, shaking her head. She unlocked the stall door cautiously and revealed her wretched appearance to the other girl.

Téa gave Eshe an assuring smile, opening her arms to propose a hug, and the tanned girl accepted, stepping into the awaiting embrace.

As it happened, Téa gave good hugs, and Eshe wouldn't have expected anything less from the girl.

"Thanks, Téa…"

"Anytime, Eshe. Are you feeling better now?"

Eshe pulled out of the hug, sparing a glance at herself in the mirrors on the wall behind the sinks; her face was red and her eyes were puffy, but the tears had halted.

"...I think so. I'm just… I'm just tired."

Téa nodded slightly, "You said earlier you haven't been getting enough sleep?"

"Mm", Eshe hummed, "It's my nightmares, they keep me up at night."

"You still haven't seen a doctor, have you?" Téa frowned, and Eshe smiled bitterly.

"I am skeptical that a doctor would be able to help", the tanned girl replied, hanging her head slightly, and the slight wrinkling at the corner of Téa's eyes told her that the girl just didn't understand her reasoning. Perhaps she _wasn't_ making sense, sleep deprivation did tend to have that effect.

Eshe didn't want to elaborate on her exhaustion if it would only make Téa more concerned for her health, but she could at least admit internally that she wasn't doing herself any favours by acting like there wasn't anything wrong with her. There totally was something wrong with her. No _normal_ person had such persistent nightmares to the point they'd rather deny themselves the basic need of sleep than deal with them, right?

"The others are worried about you", Téa spoke, "How about we go back out and watch Atem teach Drago a lesson?"

Eshe wiped away the salty streaks of dried tears from her cheeks with her forearm, shrugging her shoulders slightly as she cringed at her still dampened appearance. People would still be able to tell she'd been crying, but hopefully they'd be polite enough to mind their own business.

"...Okay", Eshe nodded, and prepared to follow Téa out of the restroom and back to the arena. People did stare, much to Eshe's dismay, but despite their leering, nosy stares, they kept to themselves and didn't inquire.

When they reentered the wide room, Eshe felt her jaw drop at the sight of the display showing both duelist's lifepoints. Drago was visibly perturbed, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, and it didn't take a genius to tell Eshe why he was in such a state; his lifepoints were waning, sitting insubstantially at 700.

Atem, on the other hand, was calm and collected, his lifepoints untouched.

He had not been on the receiving end of a direct attack throughout the entire duel, and furthermore, Eshe had not been gone all that long. Ten minutes at the most, and yet, Atem was one attack away from absolutely decimating the jerk that had caused her so much emotional turmoil.

 _Unbelievable._

How could the gang have known Atem would desecrate this guy in a duel?

Eshe cast a lingering glance to Yugi, Joey and Tristan as she neared them; they all looked relaxed and smug that Drago was getting put in his place. Shifting her eyes to the King of Games, Eshe cocked her head slightly; Yugi had been so nonchalant even as Atem offered his God card in an impulsive gamble - it almost seemed like he knew Drago stood no chance against his brother.

Immediately, Eshe was frustrated that she'd run off in tears and missed what could have potentially been a very interesting duel to observe; the only person she knew who could take a foe down so quick and effortlessly was Yugi Moto.

Could Atem be as proficient in Duel Monsters as everyone said he was?

Her doubt had been a result of the fact that despite being an avid fan of Yugi's duels, she'd never even heard of Atem before that fateful day at the zoo.

Well, clearly, she was wrong. The sight before her revealed that much, and Eshe realised with a start that Atem was in the process of calling his final attack. Drago stood no chance, and cursed loudly as Atem's _Dark Magician_ delivered and overkilling blow, wiping the redhead's lifepoints clean away.

Cheers erupted from around the arena, everyone seemed appeased that Drago had been taken care of; that jerk must've been causing chaos for everybody all day.

Drago stomped down from the raised platform, snapping something at his group of misfits, who all shrugged in return, and he turned to Atem as the younger boy approached to retrieve his rightfully won prize.

Atem held out his hand, palm up, and landed his narrow gaze on Drago expectantly, "Hand it over, Drago."

Drago bared his ugly teeth at Atem, but thankfully didn't kick off a fight. He pulled the card out of his pocket and tossed it haphazardly at the younger boy, "It's a useless card anyway", he hissed, and turned to amble away like he hadn't just experienced a very humiliating defeat.

Atem caught the card between two dextrous fingers, examining it to make sure it wasn't damaged, and turned to regroup with his friends.

A flicker of concern was detectable on Atem's face as he caught sight of Eshe's red-rimmed eyes and tired appearance; she stood stiffly, hugging herself subconsciously in a position of discomfort, and Atem approached her with a heartening smile, hoping to alleviate her distress and bring back her effervescent manner.

Eshe's eyes shifted briefly to acknowledge him as he reached her, a weak smile appearing on her face, but her willpower to hold eye contact was subsiding thanks to the ingrained shame she still felt from the events of the past hour or so.

"Well done, you, um- that was… good", Eshe murmured with lacking coherence, suddenly very interested in the dirt on the side of her shoe.

Atem's gentle smile grew in amusement and he held out his prize for defeating Drago, waiting for Eshe to take it back, "I told you, you had nothing to worry about. Here's your card, Eshe."

Eshe's arms tightened around herself and she made no movement to take _Alector_ back; Atem frowned at her inaction, holding the card out persistently.

"Eshe?" he asked softly.

She took a breath, forcing an insincere smile onto her face as she rose her gaze to Atem's confused eyes, "You won it, Atem. It's yours now." Her voice was rigid and tight with recurring emotion.

Atem's eyebrows knitted, a slightly bewildered look in his eyes, "Eshe, I won it back for _you_ ", he protested, he held it out to her more pointedly, willing her to take it back, but she shook her head lightly.

"It's safer with you, clearly. Look after it for me, will you?" and then, a little quieter and with little spirit behind her words, "I'll just have to duel you for it", she let out a bitter laugh, before sighing in sorrow. She felt as though she had let _Alector_ down; the burrowing thought that she didn't deserve to hold the monster in her deck took hold of her and enhanced her doubts.

"Eshe…" the sound of her name on his lips, spoken so affectionately, took her by surprise and she continued to avoid eye contact with him, fearing that if she were to look at him, she would burst into tears once again.

She had had a long day, and she was both emotionally and physically exhausted, so she couldn't really blame herself for how drained she felt, and how easy it would be to just sit in a corner and cry.

Luckily, it was at that moment that Seto Kaiba stalked purposefully up to the group, providing a welcomed distraction from her riled mental state.

"Are you _insane_?" Seto hissed as he strode right up to Atem, his impressive height giving him an intimidating edge as he glared down at the shorter boy. Atem slipped Eshe's card into his deck holder and regarded Seto with a raised eyebrow and impartial expression.

"Wagering a God card against a trifling duelist who isn't even worth your time is a moronic move; flashing that thing around might attract _unwanted attention_ ", Seto spoke, a warning lilt to his cold voice. Eshe bristled at his glacial disposition; she had known the young millionaire often acted indifferent, but his presence and tone was almost threatening.

Atem seemed undeterred beneath Seto's icy blue, piercing stare, and straightened his back, making cold eye contact with the rich teen, "It's good to see you too, Kaiba."

The teasing retort was unexpected, and Eshe's lips twitched into a light smile, an almost imperceptible response that Seto managed to pick up on; he turned his scrutinising look on her and Eshe found it almost impossible to hold his glare. Before she could look away shyly, she caught a very unusual semblance of recognition in the young CEO's perusal of her face, and watched as Seto's eyes shifted wordlessly to Atem's.

They appeared to have a silent conversation through micro expressions and twitching facial features which ended with Atem's widening, pointed eyes and Seto's sharply furrowed brow.

With a side-eyed look, Seto spoke up in a apathetic tone, "I see you've roped in another loser to join your dweeb clan."

Joey snapped defiantly, racing to Eshe's defence, "Hey rich-boy, you listen here, Eshe ain't no loser! She beat _me_ in a duel!"

A smug smirk reached Seto's face as he effortlessly responded, "As I was saying, her dueling skills are subpar and so are yours."

Eshe clenched her jaw, eyes dropping shamefully to the floor. ' _Don't let him get to you, Eshe… don't let him get to you_ ', she chanted in her head, and felt Atem's warm hand take her's in a solacing gesture. She offered him a weak smile of appreciation, and he returned her a reassuring smile.

Seto Kaiba didn't know what he was talking about; perhaps if he was aware Eshe was operating on only a few hours sleep he wouldn't be so harsh. Then again, maybe not, if first impressions were anything to go by; besides, she'd heard from several sources that the boy was a workaholic, so he probably wouldn't take sleep deprivation as a good excuse.

" _Hey_! Who're you calling a subpar duelist, moneybags!?" Joey bit back, pointing a accusatory finger in the tall CEO's face.

"Get that finger out of my face, _mutt_ , or I'll have security throw you out of my park", Seto threatened bluntly.

Eshe raised an eyebrow, she'd thought Seto Kaiba and the gang held a more… friendly relationship, but all she was seeing was flagrant animosity, at least between the CEO and the blond; maybe it was just their unique way of interacting, that they showed each other they cared through brash words and coarse insults. She had a similar level of communication with Leela, so it was entirely possible.

"Are they always like that?" Eshe whispered to Atem, who gave her a knowing smile in return.

"Enough mindless chatter", Seto spoke, returning to face Atem, "you owe me a duel, _Atem._ " The millionaire spoke the boy's name with an odd inflection, as if it was unfamiliar on his tongue, and Eshe blinked a few times in confusion.

She glanced at Yugi, who seemed unconcerned by Seto's proclamation, and looked inquisitively at the others in the group before settling back on Atem, whose mouth was curling upwards in a complacent smirk.

"If it's a duel you want, Kaiba, then it's a duel you'll get."

Seto seemed pleased, "As I'm sure you'll agree, this arena is far too small for a match as grand as ours. As such, I have reserved the stadium just for us."

Eshe raised an eyebrow. ' _This arena is SMALL? Just how big is this stadium he's on about?_ '

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Kaiba", Atem responded.

"Then follow me." Seto turned, walking brusquely past Joey, who grumbled something about the millionaire lacking basic manners, and began making his way towards a staff-only exit.

It was strange, Eshe thought, that Seto Kaiba was so eager to duel Atem when his long-time rival, Yugi Moto, was standing right beside them; and the fact that the young CEO had paid him little to no mind except a curt nod of acknowledgement just seemed wholly out-of-character given the borderline obsession Seto had held in the past when it came to striving to defeat the King of Games.

Atem stepped forward to follow, and the gang pursued behind, Eshe skittered back to walk beside Yugi so that she could question him about Seto's choice of challenge.

"Hey", Yugi smiled at Eshe as she fell into step beside him, "are you feeling better now?"

Eshe smiled slightly, giving the boy an assuring nod; the welling of emotion had long since disbanded from her mind and she was now far from the verge of tears like she had been just a short while ago.

"Yeah, I'm fine", she spoke, "I have a question though."

"Oh?" Yugi looked up at her curiously, "what's that?"

"Well, earlier when we came into the park, I assumed the duel that Seto wanted was against you - you know, since you're his rival and all - so I don't know if I've missed something but why is he so keen on dueling Atem rather than you?" Eshe asked.

"Oh, well, um…" Yugi mumbled, seemingly taking a moment to think over his answer, before smiling brightly up at her, "let's just say that Atem and Kaiba have a score to settle", he ended with a slightly nervous laugh and Eshe hummed slightly.

"Huh, okay. Fair enough", she smirked, "do you think Atem stands a chance though? Seto is like, the second best duelist in the world after you, right?"

Ahead, Eshe noticed Atem's step falter slightly, and wondered briefly if she'd inadvertently insulted him; she hoped not, that wasn't her intention. Yugi just laughed at her words, "Suppose we'll just have to wait and find out", he giggled, and Eshe found his cheerfulness to be pleasantly infectious.

* * *

The dueling stadium was unnecessarily, but impressively, massive; it was a wide open-topped dome complete with multiple sets of surrounding seats. It seemed almost like a football stadium, and the dueling platform was at least three times bigger than the arena stage.

This probably meant that the monster holograms would be a whole lot more advanced and high-definition than with standard duel-disk technology; Eshe felt a buzz of excitement come to life inside her at the prospect of seeing Atem duel for the first time.

The stadium was empty, to the group's confusion; they had been directed to seat themselves in the prime spectating area which held the best view out of the whole audience seating. Seto and Atem were _somewhere_ , getting ready for their imminent duel, no doubt, and Eshe took the time to ask Yugi something else that had been playing on her mind.

"Yugi?" She asked the boy seated beside her, and he turned to blink his wide eyes at her, "Uhh, I was just wondering… weren't you bothered that Atem bet your God card in his duel against Drago?"

Yugi's lips parted and he blinked a few more times, before smiling and shaking his head, "Those God cards belong to Atem as much as they belong to me, and I trust him to look after them. He wouldn't have wagered one of them if he knew there was a chance he could lose."

Eshe's eyes widened in surprise, Atem's friends had the utmost faith in him to quite an extreme extent - that much was evident by how certain they were that Atem would emerge victorious. This whole time, she had formed an expectation of Atem which appointed him as an above-average duelist, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe he was much more than that.

Maybe he was every bit the master at dueling that Yugi was.

' _Right_ ', Eshe thought, ' _no more brash assumptions._ '

There was movement on the platform and both Atem and Seto entered their respective sides of the field; a duel disk strapped to their left arms, and the display screens around the stadium lit up with close-up shots of both duelists. Atem took his eyes off his opponent to look up in surprise at the large, flashy television screens showing his moderately bewildered look.

"Oh, did I forget to mention? This duel is being broadcasted park-wide", Seto spoke, and Eshe felt a shudder run through her body at the thought of _all those people_ watching. The whole park; that was much worse than an arena of one-hundred or so people. If this was her duel, well, she'd be shaking in her boots.

Atem raised an eyebrow, facing Seto again with a laid-back look, he procured his deck and began to shuffle his cards before placing them into his duel disk, "I suppose I should've expected that. You do love to be dramatic."

"Tch… look who's talking", Seto's voice rumbled as he too prepared his deck.

A knowing smirk reached Atem's face, and he straightened up, widening his stance, "Enough talking. _It's time to duel!_ "

The lifepoints display lit up, showing a full 8000 points for each duelist, and Eshe eyed Yugi's face in her peripheral vision.

' _That's… Yugi's catchphrase…_ ' she thought confusedly.

"Teach him a lesson, Atem!" Joey cried out, cupping his hands around his mouth to propel his voice further, and Eshe smiled fondly at the supportive friend's ready to cheer the duelist on.

Seto started off, immediately taking the offensive by summoning a monster with a hefty number of attack points, named _Vorse Raider_ , and proceeded to place some cards facedown. Atem was smiling, a mix of elation and incitement in his expression as he drew to take his turn; for the first time since Eshe had met him, he seemed… genuinely relaxed, like he was really having fun.

It was a refreshing sight to behold, the sincere excitement in Atem's eyes sent pleasant buzzes of happiness through her, and she found herself having a hard time looking away from him.

Not only that, but the raw _power_ he was exuding from the way he was standing to the tone of his voice was simply magnificent, a stark contrast to his usually quiet, reserved self. It seemed the moment he began to duel, his personality did a complete one-eighty turn in which he felt the need to display an attractive cockiness.

Where had she seen that before?

Her eyes shifted to Yugi again, her eyebrows narrowed in perplexity; the King of Games caught her questioning glance and answered her unspoken query.

"When Atem's dueling, he's in his element", Yugi spoke, "probably when his ego shows the most too", he added with a snort.

Eshe laughed along, finding amusement in Yugi's words, before turning back to Atem, his confidence was enticing, and she felt her face reddening at the thoughts that were occurring in her mind.

' _I really hope there aren't any mind-readers around_ ', Eshe joked to herself before proceeding to focus entirely on Atem's alluring fearlessness.

She was entirely taken by this boy's spirit, there was no way now she could deny she was absolutely, completely, utterly attracted to Atem.

' _Oh jeez_ ', she thought, blushing heavily at her self-confession.

The duel commenced, a battle of excitement and witty one-liners from both parties involved, until finally, Seto summoned his _Blue-Eyes White Dragon_ , and Eshe swallowed, on the edge of her seat, looking back to see Atem's reaction.

Atem was supremely unconcerned, looking up at the holographic dragon like it was nothing more than a helpless mouse.

"Good lord", Eshe mumbled under her breath, catching Téa's attention, who glanced at her searchingly.

"What's up?" Téa asked curiously, and Eshe cleared her throat, realising her face was still bright red from her provocative thoughts regarding Atem.

"Uhhhh", she took a moment to retrieve her composure, "nothing, just, that monster. Pretty cool."

Téa raised an eyebrow, a strange smile on her face.

' _Oh my God, does she know what I've been thinking? Is she a mind reader?_ ' Eshe thought alarmingly; then again… perhaps she had just deduced Eshe's mannerisms and come to her own conclusion. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that Téa knew what she was currently experiencing because she had gone through similar feelings herself.

 _Hmmmm._

Ignoring Téa's teasing stare, Eshe turned back to the duel at hand, eagerly awaiting Atem's comeback to the monster Seto had just summoned.

Seto gave a cold laugh as his dragon roared, "I'll tell you now, you shouldn't be so unafraid, _pharaoh_. I will defeat you-"

 _Wait._

Eshe felt her whole body tense up suddenly, her red cheeks draining pale. Had she just misheard the young millionaire or had he actually just called Atem ' _pharaoh_ '?

The other's in the gang seemed to share a glance before taking a peek at Eshe, and she turned to them and hesitantly asked, "Did Seto… did he just call Atem… pharaoh?"

She must've misheard him. She had to have misheard him - surely her own mind was just playing tricks on her. There was no way.

Eshe couldn't take her mind off her dreams all of a sudden, the dreams in which she was a royal girl in an ancient Egyptian palace, often flirting with the dashing Prince Atem, and briefly, as she had envisioned him - _Pharaoh_ Atem.

Tristan was the one to answer her, a hint of apprehension in his words, "Oh well, uh, it's just, like, a nickname… since Atem's so into Egyptology, and all that!"

The others nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with the brown-haired boy.

It couldn't be a coincidence; and Eshe blinked rapidly as an ache seared through her brain.

* * *

 _It was cold._

 _Queen Eshe breathed the cool night air as she overlooked the path below her balcony; the emblazoning fire behind her had long since burned out, leaving quietly crackling coal and ashes. It was dark, apart from the wall-mounted torches below, dotted around the halls as guards continued their patrols._

 _A couple of small birds flitted wildly around her, tweeting loudly in warning._

 _She sat on the edge of her balcony, her legs dangling below; she curled her toes and remained motionless, contemplating her actions._

 _Her necklace hung heavily, nestled at her breast, rising and falling with each stiff, quick breath she took._

 _She could jump._

 _But what was the point?_

 _Atem was not waiting for her in the afterlife._

 _Regardless of what she did now, she would never see him again._

 _The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she heard the unmistakable sound of footprints padding lightly through her quarters; someone was coming._

" _Don't", Priest Seto spoke, quiet but firmly, as he appeared from between the curtains and stepped out onto the balcony. He made no move to step closer, a wise decision, given she was on the brink of releasing her hold and falling to her death._

 _Eshe scanned his face; his eyes were wide, his jaw was clenched, and his body was stiff. He was afraid, afraid of what she was going to do._

" _Don't", he repeated after her extended silence._

 _Queen Eshe sighed, looking down at the hard stone path; killing herself would relieve her of the constant heartache she felt…_

" _Step down, my queen. Please", Seto had taken to pleading, a hand cautiously outstretched._

 _A light breeze ruffled her hair, causing her to shiver slightly; she watched the birds continue to flutter around her, begging her to rethink and return to safety._

" _Do you think if I were to jump, that I would sprout wings and fly away like a bird?" Eshe whispered weakly, licking her dry lips._

 _Seto was quick to respond to her incoherent thoughts, "I think you and I both know the answer to that."_

 _Eshe could feel the disappointment coming off Seto in waves, and really, she didn't blame him; he was right to feel let down by her. She had been anything but helpful since Atem… since he…_

 _The queen gave a shuddering breath, letting a sob pass through her lips as she was once again reminded that she was alone._

" _Is this really what you think he would want?" Seto spoke, his tone passive, far from gentle, and Eshe's shoulders shook as she struggled to control her wheezing._

" _Does it matter?" Eshe cried bitterly, "He's gone. He's never coming back… I'll never see him again…"_

" _So that's it? You're going to take the easy way out like a selfish coward. Do you know why he fell in love with you? Because you were strong, kind, and you gave him courage. Look at you now, you're pathetic."_

 _Eshe's hands twitched on the stone of the balcony ledge, clenching and unclenching, wavering on her choice; she turned her head to the side, watching him as tears streamed down her face, her mouth hanging open in disbelief._

 _Seto swallowed heavily, his blue, unblinking eyes, setting profoundly on her face, and then he spoke again, "Prove me wrong."_

 _Eshe held her breath._

 _Priest Seto was not an emotionless man, he did care, he just had a very particular way of showing it. He was also a highly intelligent individual, and he knew that honeyed words were useless in such a situation. Queen Eshe didn't care to hear 'don't worry, it'll be alright', because that was a lie, and Eshe couldn't stand liars._

 _Eshe simply needed to be reminded that she was who she was; a compassionate, strong queen whose kingdom needed her. She was not broken, she was whole._

 _And despite the death of her husband, she persevered._

 _Eshe reached out to Seto, and he immediately stepped forward, enclosing his arms around her to pull her back over to the safe side of the balcony. She collapsed in his arms, and he dropped to his knees as she clutched him tightly, crying into his shoulder._

" _I'm sorry… I'm sorry", the queen sobbed, and Priest Seto held her firmly, "It's so hard… I'm sorry."_

" _I know", Seto spoke, and then again, quieter, "I know."_

* * *

Eshe came back to herself, sweat dripping down her face as she blinked her eyes rapidly; she gazed dazedly at the field and found that _Blue-Eyes_ was gone, replaced by a lesser monster, and the _Dark Magician_ graced Atem's side of the field, maintaining an arrogant stance with its arms crossed.

Both duelist's life points had diminished considerably, with Atem holding a slight read.

How long had she blacked out this time?

Shakily, she glanced over at her friends, who were completely focused on the duel at hand, and breathed a sigh of relief, thankful they hadn't witnessed her… lack of bearings.

Her vision had left her quite rattled, and a pounding ache grew fierce in her head, making her sight a little fuzzy.

"Téa, do you have any painkillers in your bag?" Eshe asked, forcing her voice to remain mellow and unperturbed.

Téa looked up, a flicker of concern in her eyes, "Oh, yeah, I think so. Have you got a headache again?"

Eshe forced a smile, "Yeah, just a little one. I think I'll be okay in a while", she thanked the girl as Téa handed her some pain-relieving tablets.

Turning her eyes back to the duel, her still ashened face slowly recovering colour as her wits came back to her.

Atem won the duel as he called his last attack, having foiled Seto's attempts to take him out with carefully placed spell and trap cards; Eshe could hardly believe it. Seto was known as the second best duelist next to Yugi, so she wasn't entirely sure what this was going to do with his reputation. Regardless, the blue-eyed CEO did _not_ look thrilled.

But this meant that Atem was second only to Yugi, if her calculations added up.

Eshe would have been far more enthusiastic in congratulating Atem if she didn't feel so debilitating at that moment, and as the tanned boy rejoined them to bask in his friend's cheers and compliments, she turned quietly to Téa and murmured, "I think I want to go home now."

Téa frowned sympathetically, placing a gentle hand on Eshe's shoulder, "I don't blame you, Eshe… you've had a long day."

Indeed, it certainly felt like it.

* * *

 **Notes: Priest Seto is damn lucky that worked.**


	19. Chases Thrill Me And The Game Is On

Transcending Time

Chapter Eighteen: Chases Thrill Me And The Game Is On

Atem stood at the base of the steps leading up to the Domino Museum, clutching an inconspicuous, flimsy binder in one hand, other hand resting coolly on his hip with his thumb hooked below his studded belt. He looked up at the large building which was once again rife with visitors after its two week long closure following the break-in and theft of the priceless necklace, the Lost Lavalliere; everyone seemed happy that their beloved historical archive was once again open to the public.

The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and Atem was frustrated and desperate for a lead that would give some insight into the identity of the thief and what is was they wanted.

He was surprised, despite the few times Eshe had expressed developing nervousness from the feeling of being watched, that there had been no distinct intervention by the hands of their mysterious foe.

What could they possibly have been waiting for?

If this enigmatic person was waiting for a moment of gullible vulnerability to execute their play, then Atem wouldn't be hearing from them anytime soon; he was constantly vigilant, never letting his guard down, there wasn't a moment in the past six or so weeks where he had felt relaxed.

There was an uncomfortable knot in Atem's shoulders from his perpetually tense posture, and he found it impossible to unwind, not until he knew what to expect, and what he was up against.

Then there was the fact that since the broadcasted duel featuring himself and Kaiba hit the internet, people were approaching him in public, asking him to sign their duel disks and other various requests. It made him mildly uncomfortable, especially while he was on the lookout for any suspicious individuals; these newfound _fans_ were very distracting, and Atem struggled to keep his composure whenever a young child would run up to him and express delight at being able to meet 'the _other_ duelist who beat Seto Kaiba', though he tried his hardest to play it cool.

Now he knew exactly how Yugi felt.

 _Speaking of_ said broadcasted duel that had happened exactly three days prior; he'd once again been left concerned by Eshe's distressed behaviour. He had won the duel and promptly returned to his group of friends after Kaiba had begrudgingly congratulated him and sworn that the next time they dueled, Atem wouldn't be as lucky; he'd approached the others who were all smiles and cheers, and he'd looked to Eshe, hoping to find impressed approval on her face. Instead, she had seemed withdrawn again, hugging herself as she stared at the ground by her feet; on their way out of the stadium, they had run into Mokuba, who made an innocent inquiry as to whether Eshe needed a doctor. Despite her paleness, she refused, merely expressing a desire to head home.

Atem figured it was to do with her unfortunate loss to Drago and the subsequent confiscation of her favourite card; Eshe had once again stubbornly denied the card when he had offered it to her one last time before they parted ways later that evening.

He'd get that card back to her one way or another.

Atem ascended the steps leading up to the building and entered the busy museum; the first thing he noticed was the increased mass of stern security officers guarding several entrances. That made a lot of sense, it was possible that following the break-in, there would be a further handful of attempts to rob the building of its valuable artifacts by misfit criminals who had seen how _apparently effortless_ it was to steal something.

With an upwards glance, Atem noted the vast CCTV cameras lining the walls, observing every corner of every room. The cameras had been there since before the break-in, and yet they had been rendered useless by the inexplicable thief by an ' _unexplained blackout_ '.

With unassuming purpose, Atem made a beeline for the Egyptian exhibit, his eyes drawn to the guarded room leading to the display that once housed Eshe's necklace; he made his way cautiously up to the archway still obstructed by police tape but was abruptly halted by one of the security officers supervising the room.

"Sorry kid, no entry here until further notice." The guard was a slender man who appeared to be in his early thirties, and he held up a hand to stop Atem from leaning over the tape to peek into the restricted area.

Atem frowned and took a step back; the guard's weight was shifted onto one leg and his shoulders slumped sluggishly, his whole posture screamed lethargy.

"I just wanted to take a look in the room…" Atem trailed off as the guard rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Well, too bad, kid. No admittance to the general public; police are still sorting out this whole 'missing necklace' case", the guard grumbled, blinking his weary eyes.

"Do the police have any ideas as to who's behind this?" Atem asked hopefully.

The guard seemed exasperated, a skeptical look on his fatigued face, "Nope, and I'm thinking they won't ever figure this one out."

"What makes you say that?" Atem inquired, a deep frown on his face.

"Uh", the guard abandoned his dispassionate expression in favour of a slightly irritable look, "kid, I shouldn't really be talking about this…"

Atem sighed, looking between the currently empty display room to the guard's crabby face, "The news report said there was a camera blackout, could that mean it was an inside job?"

"I don't appreciate your persistence, kid", the guard gave the tanned boy a prickly glare, his patience draining slowly but surely.

"It just seems like the logical conclusion-"

Atem was cut off by a deep sigh and regarded the older man with a barely restrained pout of defiance, the guard eyed him for another few moments before rolling his eyes again, "If I give you some insight, will you walk away?"

"Yes", Atem spoke, nodding eagerly with a victorious sheen in his purple gaze.

The guard leaned in slightly and lowered his voice, "It wasn't an inside job, there was no way it could have been. You see, we told the press there was a CCTV blackout because what really happened is kind of unbelievable. In fact, you'll probably just think I'm mocking you", the guard paused to sigh again, something the man seemed to do a lot, "but honest to god, kid, there's no way to explain what that camera footage showed."

"What did you see?" the tanned boy asked, one eyebrow arched, he had a bad feeling about the way this man was talking.

"We all looked at the footage- multiple times, even, and none of us could find any semblance of reasoning behind it. The camera in that room, right there", he pointed over his shoulder at the display room for the Lost Lavalliere, "it showed something real weird. It was like, someone was in there, but they were invisible. We all saw the display cabinet open up by itself, and the necklace just floated out", his words were punctuated with wavy hand movements to imitate the apparent flight of the piece of jewellery.

Atem blinked a few times as he processed the man's words; so the crime _was_ by the use of magic - he'd had an inkling, anything to do with Atem's titillating past usually had some form of magic involved with it.

"Tch. Told ya you wouldn't believe me", the guard mumbled, and Atem shook his head slightly.

"Could I see the footage, please?" Atem asked optimistically, and the guard snorted, shaking his head.

"That's pushing it, I'm afraid. That footage is currently in possession of the Domino City Police Department, and even if we did still have it, I wouldn't be allowed to show you."

Atem reluctantly nodded in understanding, reckoning no amount of annoying persistence would glean any more useful information from the man, "Well… thanks anyway." He made to turn away when the guard spoke up again.

"Whatever. I guess one things for sure though, that Lavalliere really is _lost_ now, huh?" the guard let loose an obnoxious laugh, revelling in the bland humour of his feeble joke, before quietening under the deadpan gaze of the tanned boy who was clearly not amused, "hey, lighten up, kid…"

Atem couldn't summon the energy to lighten up at the guard's unknowingly tasteless joke about his wife's missing necklace, so instead he merely turned to wordlessly walk away; he left the museum and circled the building, looking for the road that was depicted in the CCTV footage.

He paused to open the binder in his hands, which was filled with all the images and information the group had collected regarding the perplexing thief; he flipped to the page that pictured the still frame of the criminal sprinting down a street and compared the image to the routes heading away to the right of the museum.

At first glance, the streets looked very similar, but luckily Atem spotted a distinguishing pink-blossom tree with a slightly oddly shaped trunk; he glanced up and caught sight of the CCTV camera which captured the hooded suspect two weeks prior.

Atem wasn't sure what he was looking for, he had a hopeful feeling that his Millennium Puzzle could possibly pick up on some fleeting traces of magical energy, but that was probably a long-shot given how much time had passed since the foe had run through the area.

Still, there was meager vestige of faith within him that the Gods were on his side and would provide him with _something_.

There was a sudden shift in the breeze and Atem came to a stop, holding completely still as something unknown brushed his consciousness; warning bells resonated within his mind as his Millennium Puzzle gave off a mild vibration against his chest, a familiar sensation he had definitely felt before.

The Lost Lavalliere was nearby, and his Puzzle was reacting to its presence as it had when they'd visited the museum the first time. Atem felt his breath catch in his throat; the vibrations were faint but sure, and he spun around trying to locate the source. His eyes darted from the walkways to the windows of the residential buildings, and finally to the rooftops, but he saw nobody; the street was more or less deserted.

At once, he broke into a brisk walk in the direction the presence felt strongest and followed the steady, emanating waves of magical current. It was almost like it was calling out to him, begging him to retrieve it, so that he could return it to its rightful owner.

He passed an alleyway and double-taked, halting his spry pace to scrutinise a leery-looking figure lurking near the opposite end of the shaded passageway; Atem stepped into the enclosed back street with soft, soundless steps. Whoever they were, their attention was drawn away, their back to the right wall, head turned slightly to the exit of the alley.

Holding his breath, Atem took this opportunity to observe and commit to memory this person's appearance; unfortunately their head was concealed beneath a black hood and a dark wrap covering their nose and mouth, but Atem noted their height and build, which were relatively similar to his own. Their stance was coiled, curled in, as if ready to spring up at any moment.

Atem moved closer still, only a short distance separating them; his heart pounded and the Puzzle thrummed at his chest with energy increasing alongside each prudent step he took.

He didn't have a plan, per se, but it was too late to turn back now; perhaps he could creep up on the individual and tackle them - but then what?

Well, he had his Millennium Puzzle, and was still able to call upon the powers residing within to subdue the thief, there was no doubt that this person was currently in possession of the necklace-

 _Clink._

Atem's eyes shifted to the loose piping by his foot that he had accidentally knocked.

 _Damn it._

The hooded thief swung around, their posture rigid, and Atem just about caught sight of their shadowed wide eyes - their colour was indiscernible in the darkness of the alley - and he tensed as the person made to pounce.

Atem jerked as the thief darted suddenly, expecting them to attack him, but instead they leapt and rebounded off of the left wall, reaching for the fire-exit steps above. With remarkable strength, they pulled theirself up and over the railing before moving with extraordinary speed up the stairs towards the roof where Atem could not follow. They moved so swiftly that it almost seemed as though they had flown up the steps, and Atem quickly dashed out of the alley, watching as the individual jumped the gap to the left-side roof, moving expeditiously out of sight.

Atem cursed silently over the fact he'd let the criminal get away, so caught up in the moment that he found himself startled, and lurched around as a hand came down to rest on his shoulder. For a moment, Atem had thought that an enemy had managed to creep up on him, and he had raised his hands reflexively in a defensive gesture as he spun.

" _Whoa!"_ Eshe stood before him, and she recoiled in shock at his excessive jittery reaction; Atem had the modesty to blush from his impulsive behaviour but it was quickly trampled by the unsettling feeling of what Eshe's presence there _actually meant_.

The disguised thief had been waiting for her, and if Atem hadn't been there to scare them off, who knows what would have happened?

The impromptu thought of what that foe might have done to her was distressing, especially knowing he wouldn't have found out for a while; that realisation was enough to incite him to throw his arms around Eshe and hold her close to him.

She was visibly surprised by his overly-enthusiastic hug, but returned it tentatively, her face heating up at the proximity between them.

"Atem… are you alright?" Eshe asked gently, and Atem couldn't blame her for being confused by his odd conduct.

"Yeah, I'm fine", he swallowed, before pulling back slightly; their faces were still notably close and he refused to release his grip around her.

"Okay, just… you're acting a little strange."

Atem's jaw clenched, and he spared a glance around, scanning the rooftops to determine whether or not the thief was still sneaking around nearby and listening into their conversation.

"I just… I thought I saw someone who looked like the suspect in the museum theft", he told her; it wasn't a lie but it also wasn't the whole truth.

"Oh?" she murmured curiously, her befuddlement had not abated, "Doing some detective work?"

There was a playful lilt to her voice and Atem cautiously released her against his better judgement, she eyed his binder and he shrugged slightly, "Sort of. What are you doing out here alone?"

Eshe raised an eyebrow at the underlying accusatory tone, and Atem inwardly cringed at his brash inquiry.

"I'm walking to work", she answered defensively, "it's a sunny day so I thought I'd walk instead of driving."

Atem nodded slightly, an apologetic expression on his face for his rudeness, and bit his lip; Eshe looked a lot better than she did at the end of their outing on Saturday. Her cheeks were filled with vibrant colour, her lips were glossy and her dazzling brown eyes looked almost rose-gold in the rays of daylight - like sunshine reflecting off copper coins.

"You look… good-" Atem stuttered as his face flushed slightly, "I mean- you look like you're feeling better; Eshe smiled shyly, and she stepped around him, motioning for him to walk with her.

"I am feeling better. I'm sorry I was just so out of it on Saturday- I didn't really get a chance to tell you how much I loved watching your duel with Seto", she spoke, and Atem felt a swell of pride at her words, slipping his arm around her waist protectively to ensure her security, but also just because he wanted to be closer to her.

Her tongue darted out to lick her lips and she grew slightly flustered at his action; it was something he found utterly adorable.

"It was _really_ impressive. I still can't believe you actually beat him! I bet he was more than a little irked at being knocked down to _third_ best duelist", Eshe giggled and Atem smiled, admiring the sweet sound of her mirth.

"So, uh, were you actually trying to hunt down that thief?" Eshe inquired, sounding relatively amused, and Atem held up the binder full of information.

"I thought I could ask around the museum, see if I could gather any clues, then I came down this street… and I saw someone who looked remarkably like that criminal", Atem told her, suppressing the urge to say anything more. Of course, he knew that the thief was in possession of the necklace, but he couldn't exactly explain to Eshe how he knew that.

"I see. Well you know what they say, a criminal always returns to the scene of the crime", Eshe spoke, holding up one sure finger. Atem's brow furrowed slightly; perhaps that was so, but the thief had looked as though they were spying on Eshe and it couldn't have been a coincidence.

"Eshe", Atem spoke, a serious tone to his voice as a sober frown crossed his face, "You should drive to work from now on."

"What, why?" Eshe looked at him like he'd grown a second head and Atem sighed; he hated how controlling his words sounded, but in reality he was just worried for her safety. If she were to walk alone again and nobody was there to look out for her then the possibilities of what could happen made him feel sick. He still didn't know the thief's motives, but he had a strong feeling they weren't friendly, if their nimble reaction was anything to go by.

Although he knew Eshe was a strong person, her missing memories left her at a disadvantage; she was by no means a damsel in distress, but at least if she drove in her car, she would be far more defended.

"If that thief is still around then it could be dangerous", Atem was flirting with the truth, "I'd… feel better knowing you were safe, and not at risk of getting… mugged."

Eshe frowned and seemed to contemplate something, a nervous shift in her eyes that Atem did not miss, and then she spoke with evident unease, "You think… that could actually happen?"

Atem's arm tightened around her comfortingly, his firm fingers resting on her hip, and under his breath, he professed, " _Not if I can help it._ "

* * *

When Eshe arrived at work alongside Atem, she was surprised to find that Haru had not yet turned up for work, and the golden-haired girl working in his place seemed extremely disgruntled to be working past the end of her shift, so as not to leave the cafe barren of staff members.

"About time!" the blonde girl snapped, a heavy pout on her face as she quickly moved to hang up her apron and clock out, "Haru was supposed to be here ten minutes ago!"

Eshe frowned; it wasn't like Haru to be late to work, he was always so particular and precise about everything, from his appearance to his work ethic. Eshe's eyebrows pinched with worry.

"That's really strange. I hope he's okay-"

She was cut off abruptly as the cafe door opened and Haru himself came bounding in; he keeled over, resting his hands on his knees as he regained his breath; his silvery hair was matted to his forehead with sweat and his cheeks were flushed red from his liveliness.

" _Sorry!_ So sorry I'm late! I was helping an old lady cross the street!" he explained with a laugh, and Eshe was relatively sure he was joking, but then again, you could never be sure when it came to Haru.

Atem watched Haru with an eye of suspicion, much to Eshe's dismay, as the silver-haired boy brushed past him with a reticent smirk on his fair face, " _Anyway_ , we've got lovely customers waiting so let's get to it!"

Haru whisked past Eshe and around the counter, quickly hurrying into his apron and role to adhere to the clients, while Atem stepped closer to Eshe and lowered his voice.

"When you're finished with work, I was wondering if you'd like to join us all back at the Shop for a Game night?" Atem's voice was a low timbre and sounded absolutely delectable, but Eshe was a little perplexed on why he felt the need to lower his voice.

"Sounds good, but why are you whispering?" she replied, in an equally quiet voice with a hint of playful sarcasm.

Atem's eyes flickered to Haru and his brow furrowed, "I don't trust him", he whispered honestly, and Eshe rolled her eyes slightly.

"Atem, we've been through this. Haru is my friend, you gotta stop acting like he's some _criminal_ ", Eshe spoke with a sweet lilt to her voice and Atem's eyes lowered as he sighed; Eshe's hand seemed to move of its own accord as she gently placed a slender finger below his chin to bring his gaze back up.

Eshe smiled as his eyes widened ever so slightly, peeking at her from under long eyelashes, and then her lips parted slightly as she realised how close their faces were.

She could totally kiss him right now.

She _really_ wanted to kiss him right now, and assuming she read his body language and facial expressions correctly, he wanted to kiss her as well. She could see the way his pupils had dilated, and the almost imperceptible quickening of his breath through parted lips; _oh yes,_ he definitely wanted to kiss her.

It seemed a little inappropriate at that moment, with the two of them standing in the centre of Eshe's workplace, drawing attention from customers sat in the booths, and the very heavy gaze of Haru noted in her peripheral. She wasn't too fond of the attention.

Instead, Eshe lowered her hand and hugged Atem, burying her face in his shoulder briefly and softly saying, "Thank you for walking with me. I'll see you later, okay?"

When she pulled away, Atem had delightfully red cheeks and Eshe bit her lip to hide a grin; the tanned boy cleared his throat, "Of course. I'll be here to walk you to the Game shop later."

Eshe nodded slightly, knowing Atem was far too reluctant to let her walk alone due to his apprehension over the thief that was apparently still loitering around the area; usually it would make her uncomfortable for someone to be so overbearing but his assertive protectiveness seemed very pure-hearted.

It made her feel… _safe._

After Atem left the cafe, Eshe went about her business as usual, serving customers with a smile; the tanned boy's earlier observation had been quite on-point - Eshe was feeling a lot better than the past week; she's actually managed to get a full night's sleep without any odd dreams or frightening nightmares, and she actually felt well-rested for the first time in _forever_.

Her shift would have gone by fine if she didn't notice the insistent stare of her colleague throughout most of the day; she did her best to ignore it, but eventually it got a little too annoying.

"Okay, why the _hell_ are you staring at me like that?" Eshe interrogated when the number of customers dwindled and they were left with a few minutes of peace, "Since the start of my shift, you haven't stopped. It's really bugging me!"

Haru shrugged slightly as he idle wiped down the countertop free of any crumbs or spilt beverages, and Eshe's eyes narrowed, a grumble or irritation leaving her throat.

"Tell me why you're staring at me." She demanded, an importunate tone weaving through her teeth that she couldn't recall had ever graced her voice before.

Haru's face morphed into an acerbic smirk, an expression she wasn't sure she'd seen on his face previously, and he leant his elbow on the prep surface, inclining against it in a comfortable position, "You said you and Atem were friends."

Eshe raised an eyebrow at the statement, "What?" The context confused her, there was a hint of inquiry to his words, and yet, Eshe had thought her and Atem's friendship was utterly obvious.

"A few weeks ago, you said Atem was your friend… _just_ your friend?"

Oh, now she understood what he was getting at.

"He is just my friend", Eshe spoke nonchalantly, it was technically true, currently there was no official relationship happening between them; although they had been on a few dates together, neither of them had strictly referred to the other as their boyfriend/girlfriend.

Well, Joey had inferred it without even trying to seem ambiguous, but it was still not conclusive that she and Atem were 'dating'.

They hadn't even kissed yet.

They'd come awfully close.

But that wasn't what Eshe would call a definite confirmation.

"Bullshit", Haru spoke bluntly.

Eshe glared at her colleague's use of language, "It's not bullshit."

"Oh my God, did you see the way he was undressing you with his eyes?" Haru crossed his arms, raising an expectant eyebrow as he spoke, and Eshe bristled slightly.

"He was _not_ undressing me with his eyes."

"He was _so_ checking you out whenever you weren't looking."

" _No he wasn't, he's a gentleman!_ " Eshe squeaked in a hush tone, her face a brilliant red, and Haru snorted with laughter at her words.

"Why is it any concern of yours anyway!? I'm a big girl, I could date him if I wanted to!" Eshe snapped defiantly, sticking her nose up audaciously.

"I just need to know if this whole 'just friends' thing you've got going with him is gonna stay permanent", he responded cryptically, and Eshe glared at him.

" _Why do you need to know that!?_ " she hissed.

" _Because"_ , Haru responded with equal seething, "He's fucking _gorgeous_ and I want a piece of that ass!"

Eshe's response died in her throat and her eyes flickered hectically around the cafe to make sure that none of the customers had heard their little squabble-turned-confession. Haru was unabashed from his concession, a stern and challenging look in his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning forwards to glean Eshe's reaction.

When she was satisfied that no customers were eavesdropping, Eshe spoke with a warning intonation that could put even the strictest teacher to shame, "If you even dare try to steal that boy away from me, I will rip of your arms."

Momentarily stunned by her aggressively passionate promise, Haru quickly retrieved his bearings and strived to return a witty remark right back at her, "I'd be more intimidated if you were going to rip off _something else_."

"Go sit in the staff room and rethink your life, Haru."

* * *

By the time the end of Eshe's shift came along, she was absolutely fed up with Haru's confident and self-assured attitude; her colleague had spent the remainder of their time in the cafe trying to ' _strike a deal_ ' with Eshe, attempting to cook up any reason to make a pass at Atem without Eshe getting outraged.

Unfortunately for Eshe, she had been in the staff room retrieving her belongings when Atem walked through the cafe door that afternoon; the tanned boy looked at Haru briefly before searching the rest of the room.

"Where is Eshe?" Atem asked warily, eyeing Haru with a narrowed gaze.

Haru smiled brightly at the tanned boy, "She's just getting her things, she'll be out in a moment", the silver-haired boy spoke cheerfully, before leaning over the counter slightly, letting his eyes pass over Atem's body.

Atem frowned at the very obvious leer Haru was giving him, and glared back at him, though it didn't quite have the desirable effect as the silver-haired boy just seemed more interested in staring at him.

Just as Atem was about to demand an explanation for the unbroken gaze, Haru opened his mouth to ask, "So, Atem, where are you from?"

Atem blinked a few times, opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, clearly caught off guard by the question, "Uhh, I'm from Egypt."

"Ooooh, Egypt, _nice_ , is that where you got the flashy necklace?" Haru inquired, his hand raising to brush against the back of his own neck idly as he tilted his head at the other boy.

Immediately, Atem reached up to clutch the chain of his pyramid-pendant possessively, a hint of alarm in his purple eyes; Haru wasn't sure what it was he had said that garnered such a reaction, but he brushed it off as nothing important and continued to question the other boy.

"How old are you?" Haru asked curiously, and Atem raised a confused eyebrow at his line of interrogation.

"I'm… uh", Atem's eyes widened momentarily and he searched his head momentarily for a response, "Uh… eighteen."

"Hmm", Haru hummed, "I thought you were older. No worries though", the silver-haired boy winked, and Atem seemed vaguely awkward, inching away from the other slowly to try and end the conversation right then and there.

Haru didn't let up, however, and his tone became more flirtatious, "Do you work out? You look like you work out-"

" _Alright,_ time to go, see ya tomorrow, _goodbye Haru_ ", Eshe hissed through gritted teeth as she burst through the staff room doors, rounded the counter and began nudging Atem out of the cafe as quickly as possible. Atem let out a noise of surprise as he was shoved out of the door, but simultaneously seemed happy to have been forcibly removed from his uncomfortable situation.

Eshe began a brisk walk away from the cafe, this time her arm was around Atem, leading him away quickly from the scene, keeping a steady pace despite the tanned boy's caught-off-guard stumbling.

"What was… why was he asking me-"

Atem's confused mumbling was cut off quickly by Eshe's partially grumpy response, "I think I figured out why Haru kept staring at you, Atem. He _likes_ you."

"Oh… _Oh_ ", Atem's response was unexpectedly amusing, and Eshe finally slowed down once she was sure Haru wasn't going to make a dash after them to try and drag _her_ crush away.

"I can't believe the nerve of him", Eshe grumbled, her arm remained curled around Atem's waist and he demurely returned the gesture, a bashful smirk on his handsome face.

"Jealous?" Atem asked with playful teasing, now that he was no longer oblivious to the situation. Eshe pouted, eyeing the boy with a spurious angry expression; this scene seemed a little familiar, they'd walked together a couple weeks prior having a relatively similar conversation, except the roles had been reversed.

Eshe shook her head, licking her lips, "Should I feel threatened?"

Atem smirked, his eyes settling on Eshe's face for a few suspenseful moments, and then he responded with soft amorousness, "I don't think you have anything to worry about…"

* * *

 _Queen Eshe walked with dire intent, her movements stark and automatic, escorted by several armed guards, to the recently deceased Master Magician's personal archive of magic. She rounded a corner, her face expressionless, her eyes unblinking, preparing her steely composure for the imminent confrontation._

 _Her heavy steps echoed, her strides were surprisingly long for legs so short, as they came to the entrance to what used to be Master Mahad's personal quarters._

" _My queen, let us go in first. It might be dangerous", Asim spoke up to her left, but Eshe did not react, she pressed into the room dauntlessly and her guards quickly followed to protect her from the expected danger._

 _There was a quick shuffling sound emanating from the archway that lead to the connecting room, the room that Eshe understood to hold Mahad's vast collection of spellbooks and alchemy reagents; and she made a dash, hoping to hinder the plans of the trespasser._

" _Rura", Eshe hissed at the sight of the intruder, the once apprentice of Mahad, as he froze under the wrath of the queen and her many guards. They surrounded the startled magician, pointing their spears at his throat, daring him to make any sudden movements; the black-haired man clutched a few aged book in his arms, clearly just taken from a hidden compartment behind Mahad's bookshelf._

" _Queen E-" the young man began to speak._

" _Silence!" Eshe cut Rura off, "I had a feeling I'd find you here, among your old master's belongings, snooping around where you aren't allowed", she spoke loud and clear, her voice steady and utterly unwavering._

 _Rura watched the queen closely, his grey eyes bore into her's and his jaw clenched, before he opened his mouth to speak again._

" _I said silence!" Eshe roared, interrupting any attempts the magician might make to build an excuse for his presence there, "Now, put the books down. You are being charged with trespassing, theft, and suspected scheming to overthrow the sovereign. You will not receive a trial, I think your current predicament is evidence enough that you've been up to no good; your plans will not succeed."_

 _Rura's eyes hardened on the queen, and then he turned to the guard's surrounding him, "This is not fair", he implored, and Asim sneered at him._

" _Shut your mouth, larcenist, you will pay for your crimes against the monarch", Eshe's personal guard growled._

 _Rura's steel gaze returned to the queen, his dark gaze narrowing, and he appeared to look right through her as he seethed, "You will not get away with this injustice…"_

 _The guard's led him out and away to his new home, the dark, dank dungeons._

 _Queen Eshe remained still as the guards led the compliant criminal out of Mahad's chambers, ignoring the brief glance of concern from Asim, and she stepped towards the books Rura had placed back down on the desk beside the bookcase._

 _She opened them up, flicking through them quickly as she skimmed the pages and read the inky black words._

 _ **Birth, Life, Death, Rebirth: Influencing the reincarnation cycle-**_

 _Eshe closed the book and placed it back into the hidden compartment._

* * *

"Are you hungry, Eshe? ...Eshe?"

"Wha-?" Tristan's voice pierced through the veil of drowsiness and she sat up awkwardly within the dip of the bean bag she was nestled in, "Oh, sorry… I was just dozing", Eshe quickly rubbed her eyes, returning to full consciousness. The fuzziness clouding her mind hastily cleared and she blinked up at the brown-haired boy hovering over her.

"We're having snacks now, sleeping beauty, so if you're done snoring, why don't you get your butt up and join us downstairs for a movie?" Tristan teased, a smirk on his face.

Eshe had reached the Game Shop with Atem, and promptly joined the gathering of friends on Yugi's bedroom floor for a series of board games. It was possible Eshe had gotten a little too comfy in the soft, cushiony seat, but Eshe reluctantly believed she hadn't completely recovered from the sleepless nights of the week before.

"Sounds good!" Eshe yawned, and shuffled out of the chair; the group exited Yugi's bedroom - Tristan and Joey left a little too rowdily and ended up tripping over something on the way out, which brought forth a giggle from the others once they realised the boys were okay - and they all headed down the stairs to watch a film in the living room.

Téa had suggested _Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark_ , which happened to be a favourite of almost everyone in the group - well, except for Atem, because he had apparently lived under a rock his whole life and had never seen it.

Eshe quickly explained that it was about a badass archaeologist-adventurer who searched for hidden treasures, to which Atem gave a thoughtful smile and exclaimed, "Like grandpa?"

The curl of Atem's lips and the fluttering of his eyelashes as he blinked was adorable, and Eshe giggled, "I guess so!" She had heard briefly of the archaeological adventures the older Muto had partaken in, and found them utterly fascinating.

Everyone sunk into their seats, blessed with several bowls of buttery popcorn, and let the movie begin.

Eshe felt content in the darkened room, sitting comfortably between Atem and Joey, occasionally popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth, as they all watched the classic movie with avid interest, and she wished vaguely that she could hang out with the group all day, every day.

"Hey guys", Eshe spoke up, though quietly, as the movie reached a less important scene, and the others turned to her curiously, "we should hang out again this weekend. Let's go camping or something, do you guys like camping?"

" _Do we like camping!?_ " Tristan repeated, " _I_ love camping! I'm in!"

Téa grinned, "Sounds awesome, I'd love to!"

Eshe felt warm and happy as the group affirmed their delight at the idea, and a wide grin found itself onto her face, basking in the glow of friendship with those around her.

Suddenly, a thought occured, "Oh shit!" Eshe squeaked, startling the others, "I forgot to tell Leela I was heading here after work! She's probably worried sick!"

Eshe jumped up as Téa paused the movie, "I think I left my phone in your room, Yugi, I'll be right back", she spoke and she hopped up out of the seat and actively rushed out the room the scamper up the stairs.

She entered the bedroom, quickly spotting her phone sitting sneakily beside the bean bag she'd been sitting in; as she thought, she had a handful of angry, frantic, worried texts from her roommate and several missed calls. Eshe quickly sent the girl an apologetic text explaining her whereabouts, and pushed her phone into her pocket.

She turned around and paused, a gold glint catching her eye; her gaze was drawn downwards to the carpet near the door where a backpack had toppled over - the object that Joey and Tristan had tripped on when they'd left the room earlier.

Something had fallen out of it; a shining necklace.

Eshe crouched, reaching for the chain to hold the jewellery up to eye-level, and spied the familiar blue lapis carving of a crow within the gold exterior.

Her mind spun and she stared heavily at the artifact that had been stolen from the museum two weeks ago; blinking hard to eliminate the fuzzy dizziness forming at the corners of her peripheral vision. Assumptions stirred in her brain, causing her heart rate to quicken; she tried to push them away and come up with _any_ other explanation, anything to clarify the context of what this meant.

At once, Atem's occasional shady actions seemed to make sense as Eshe reached one disquieting conclusion: he was the thief.

 _Atem was the thief!?_

Her words from earlier that day echoed in her own mind, " _Well you know what they say, a criminal always returns to the scene of the crime"_ , and Atem's brow had furrowed strangely.

' _Please, tell me this is_ _ **not**_ _what is looks like'_ , Eshe could barely hear her own thoughts over the rapid beat of blood rushed through her ears.

"Eshe… this isn't what it looks like."

Eshe spun around, almost losing her footing as her body seized up with momentary shock. Her mouth moved, but no words came out; Atem stood rigid in the doorway, but his face was calm and placid.

"That isn't the missing necklace, it's an imitation - a duplicate. I promise you, Eshe, I'm not lying to you- I wouldn't lie to you."

Eshe's eyes flickered back to the necklace, only taking her gaze off Atem for a moment to assess the piece of jewellery in her hand; it was heavy and seemed durable, it looked expensive and identical to the one she had seen in the museum.

"Eshe, look at me. _That is not the real necklace_."

The brisk pace of her heartbeat slowed, she released a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. There was no ounce of deception on Atem's face; he was telling the truth - the necklace she held was not the Lost Lavalliere.

But then why did she still have such a torturous feeling that there was something very important being kept from her?

* * *

 **Notes: Please, please, please review! Let me know what you like the most, anything you'd like to see happen, I live for good feedback!**


	20. Take Your Kid Gloves Off

**Notes: This is the chapter I've been so excited about, and it's over 11,000 words long, because I just wanted to give my wonderful readers an extra special treat- and also, update a day early! Enjoy, my darlings, I hope you like this as much as I do ;)**

Transcending Time

Chapter Nineteen: Take Your Kid Gloves Off

Eshe sat cross-legged on the floor of Yugi's bedroom, scrutinising the fake necklace with dissecting intent. She rubbed her thumb over the golden plating that housed the small slab of circular lapis, in which the carving of a crow sat untarnished; it was an incredibly clever replica, enough to fool her and probably enough to fool anyone but a competent archaeologist or professional antiquary.

She glided her thumb over the lapis engraving, feeling each smoothed-out ridge of the carefully cut material, and then she turned the pendant over in her hand, examining the shiny, solid backing which reflected her face so clearly.

With her free hand, she nibbled lightly on the tip of her index finger with broad contemplation; a heavy focus settled in her brown eyes as various questions arose in her head.

"Where did you get this?" was Eshe's first question.

She looked up at Atem and Yugi, who were both perched on the bed opposite her; the rest of the gang had filtered in and witnessed Eshe's discovery of the 'fake' necklace, and now they sat around the room, remaining unnaturally quiet.

After a beat of silence, Yugi glanced up from his twiddling thumbs and answered, "It was given to us by a friend."

"Why?" Eshe inquired immediately, not satisfied by the simple and straight response.

Yugi paused, lips parting to speak before closing again to rethink his explanation, and in the moment of hesitance, Atem took the initiative to answer for him.

"It was given to us for safe keeping because the original owner was afraid to return to her country with it in her possession following the museum theft."

Atem was articulate and calm as far as his tone of voice was concerned, his words rung true to Eshe's ears, and yet, everything else about Atem - from his stiff back to his hard eye contact - screamed discomfort; for this reason, Eshe figured he was biting back an important secret.

"So why was it made in the first place?"

This time, Atem hesitated, his eyes dropping to the floor for a moment, before he spoke gently, "It was made… to imitate the Lavalliere in appearance only."

The response left his mouth tentatively as if he had chosen his words with the utmost care, and Eshe slowly nodded in assent, ciphering his reply as honest, but that there seemed to be something more to his remark.

Eshe placed the fake necklace down, deciding to take a different approach; despite the fact that she trusted his initial claim that the necklace was not the real deal, she regarded him with all her attention and asked, "Did you steal the Lost Lavalliere?"

The knit of his eyebrows revealed that he was offended by the idea of such an accusation, nevertheless, he firmly replied, "No."

Truth.

"Do you know who stole the Lost Lavalliere?"

"No."

Truth.

Eshe sighed softly, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

The tension in the room was so thick that it could be cut with a knife, and Atem once again seemed to think delicately about his response. Not a good sign.

Visibly reaching the conclusion that there was no use in trying to lie to her, Atem gave Eshe a sad smile and nodded his head. This action perplexed Eshe; generally if someone was harbouring an important secret, they wouldn't admit to it - and even if they believed there was very little chance of getting away with lying, they would still at least _try._ For the same reason people undergoing lie detector tests would _still lie_.

Not Atem, though. Atem had a secret and he wholeheartedly admitted to it.

"This thing you're hiding from me… is it a bad thing?" Eshe asked softly.

"It's not that simple", Atem told her through his apologetic smile, and Eshe nodded her head.

"So it's not something you feel comfortable telling me?" She asked.

Atem looked down at his interlocking fingers, but not before Eshe saw the flicker of guilt in his eyes, and quietly spoke, "I'm sorry…"

Eshe reached a decision, "It's okay." She glanced around at the others in the room who had remained utterly silent, listening to the words exchanged, and smiled slightly, "Shall we continue watching the movie then?"

A flash of confusion passed over all of their faces as they shared glances, and Atem appeared moderately disoriented at her unexpected suggestion.

"That's it?" Atem asked, his eyebrows pinched in bewilderment, and Eshe smiled softly at him.

"Yep."

"You're not upset that I'm keeping something from you?" His eyes were wide and he did nothing to disguise his growing incredulity.

"Everyone has secrets, and everyone has their reasons to keep those secrets", Eshe rose to her feet, plucking up the fake necklace and handing it out for the tanned boy to take, "and more than anything, I trust you, Atem."

Emotion clouded Atem's eyes as he stood, retrieving the item to place down on the bedside table, before he stepped closer and encircled Eshe within his arms; she returned the embrace immediately with flustered pink cheeks. The others grinned like jovial idiots, relief and contentment passing over their faces.

Eshe's old therapist once told her to trust her own gut instincts, and her instincts told her that Atem was a good person with pure intentions, and that he would never do anything to intentionally hurt her.

* * *

As the clock struck three o'clock on Friday afternoon, Eshe skipped merrily out of the confectionary cafe - sticking her tongue out at Haru in a crude gesture as she passed him - and hopped in her car to rush home, shower, and change into some more comfortable clothing for the beginning of the weekend ahead.

Tristan had suggested a location for the group's camping trip, a secluded spot by a small lake that didn't amass a large amount of campers in general; Eshe figured it would be perfect for them all to rest and enjoy a couple of days amongst the beauty of nature in relative peace.

The group had collectively purchased and gathered an assortment of supplies, a lot of which was food and beverages, and packed all the necessary provisions into the boot of Eshe's car. Unfortunately, since her car could only carry five people, including the driver, but luckily Tristan had his motorbike, and led the way to the camping retreat while Eshe followed with the rest of the group in her car.

The journey to the lake was just over an hour's drive, and Eshe kept everyone amused by turning up the tunes on her car radio. Joey and Yugi sang along with the songs in the back while Atem sat between them, quiet but entertained. Beside Eshe in the front passenger seat, Téa shook her head fondly, letting out a giggle as Joey belted the words to _Africa_ by _Toto_ out of the window.

Eshe was sure Tristan could hear the boisterous singing from his motorbike ahead, even over the noise of both their vehicle engines.

When they arrived, Eshe stepped out of her car and breathed in the delightful scent of pine; she closed her eyes and listened to the surrounding nature - the gentle swish of leaves dancing in the breeze, the rustling of squirrels and birds in the trees, the wonderful noise of no distant traffic, just serenity.

The lake was beautiful, Tristan had made a good call with this spot.

Ripples undulated across the surface of the water; the lake was small, maybe four acres, but there was plenty of room for camping plots circling it. The lake itself was enclosed within a valley, a bright green thicket of wooded area covering every inch of ground, and the late-afternoon sun shone down, reflecting in the water alongside gorgeous blues and greens. Perhaps if she got a moment alone, she could break out the colour pencils and draw the gorgeous scenery.

Eshe had parked her car up just beyond the cover of the trees beside a flat clearing on the bank of the lake, the perfect place to set up the large, eight-person tent that Grandpa Muto had so kindly leant the gang. The tent itself was used regularly by the elderly man in his active archaeological days during expeditions and such, and was perfect for the group to use on their weekend away; it was compiled of a main living area, plus four separate two-person compartments. It had already been decided that Eshe would bunk with Téa, Yugi and Atem would share a compartment, and due to Joey and Tristan's unnecessarily tall builds, they would each get a compartment to themselves.

The tent was an absolute _bitch_ to assemble, so Eshe gleefully left it for the guys to sort out while she propped up her spring-up chair and sat down to relax; Téa joined her, placing down a picnic blanket to sit on while they looked out across the lake.

"I can tell this is gonna be a good weekend", Eshe murmured softly, sinking down into her seat with blissful leisure.

"Hey ladies, how about a little help over here?" Joey called out from behind them and the two girls turned to look over their shoulders. Joey stood clutching various hooks, a frustrated pout on his face while Tristan tried to experimentally thread a pole through a hole in the tent material; Yugi was actually trying to make an effort to read the instruction manual, though it didn't look like he was having a whole lot of luck.

Atem held up a bag of small parts, looking at them cluelessly before declaring, "I have no idea what these are."

Eshe snorted, shaking her head, "You boys are incredible. Tristan, I thought you camped a lot? You're telling me you can't put up a tent?"

Tristan pouted indignantly as he looked up from his failed experimentation, "Hey, I've never had to deal with a tent this big!"

"Why don't you all follow Yugi's lead and read the manual?" Téa called out with a slight simpering smirk on her face.

"How about you get off your lazy asses and help us out!?" Joey cried, waving a couple of flexible poles around in perfect imitation of a five-year-old kid throwing a tantrum.

Eshe waved her hand idly, "You're doing great, guys! At this rate we'll have the tent ready by next Friday!"

Joey let out a grumble of irritation, "You're just _asking_ for a spider in your sleeping bag tonight." The blond seemed to be joking, at least Eshe hoped he was joking; spiders weren't her favourite thing in the world.

Eventually, Yugi announced that he believed he had figured out the initial step of the instruction manual, and the boys began to work as a team to erect the large tent into something worth living in. Eshe and Téa did end up lending a hand when it came to holding down some pesky pegs that kept wanting to escape the ground whenever Tristan attempted to stabilise the centre pole.

At last, after a long while of frustration, the tent was finally assembled; the sun was beginning to droop in the sky, bathing the valley in a glorious orange glow. The trees on the distant hills were becoming dark silhouettes when the group set their seats around an apropos area in which they chose to build the campfire.

The air was beginning to cool, evident by the way Eshe drew her cardigan tighter around herself, and the steadily rising goosebumps on her forearms.

"Please tell me someone brought a box of matches", Téa spoke, sending the boys a precarious look, to which Tristan pushed his chest up defiantly.

"I'm not some _amateur_ camper, Téa", Tristan exclaimed, reaching into his rucksack to produce a moderate sized fire-starter kit.

"Ahh, yes, soon we'll be roasting marshmallows on an open fire", Yugi exclaimed cheerfully, and Eshe hummed in agreement.

While Tristan stoked the fire, Joey went for a wander, stepping onto the small dock a little ways up the bank a bit; Yugi retrieved the ice-box and snack basket from the boot of the car while Atem watched curiously as Eshe and Téa played a game of _Connect-4_.

Eshe could tell from the way Atem stared at the game with one inquisitively raised eyebrow that the tanned boy had never played it before, which was moderately surprisingly given his love of most games, but Eshe had started to grow nonplussed at the vast compilation of things Atem did not _know_ about.

"You're good at this", Téa commented as she lost for the fourth time, and Eshe grinned victoriously, resetting the counters to commence a fifth game.

"If there's one thing I'm good at, it's _Connect-4_ ", Eshe remarked with a giggle and Atem smiled fondly at her, leaning closer to observe the next game with peaked interest.

"So, in order to win this game you must place four of the same colour counters in a row?" Atem inquired innocently, and Eshe bit her lip to hide a smile; the name of the game was pretty self-explanatory, but she supposed that to someone who had never played or even heard of the game, that might not appear immediately obvious.

"Right, you need to get four of your counters in a line either vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The first one to do that is the winner", Eshe gave a slightly more thorough explanation and Atem nodded in understanding.

Téa put up a good run for their fifth game, it lasted a little longer as the brown-haired girl endeavoured to pay the utmost attention, but once again Eshe had the upper hand. She was a master at thinking ahead when it came to _Connect-4_ , the undefeated champ of her childhood.

"Sorry Téa, I win again", she grinned as she slotted her final counter into one of the frames, revealing a clear win, and Téa pouted.

"I was sure I had you that time…"

"You're getting better at it", Eshe praised, "you just have to predict your opponent's next move while making sure your own playstyle isn't easily read."

"Can I play?" Atem asked with a small smirk curling at the corner of his lips, an expression Eshe interpreted as challenging, and she raised an eyebrow as her own smile grew.

Of all the many times they had played video games or board games competitively while at the Muto household, Eshe hadn't once come out victorious against him. That was about to change. Eshe was _undefeated_ , literally, she had never lost a game of _Connect-4_.

"You're on", she stated, elated at the idea of finally defeating Atem, "since it's your first time playing, I'll let you go first", she spoke as she reset the frame and collected her red counters.

"Why, thank you", Atem spoke, and immediately placed his first counter in the centre column, a move that was almost always everyone's first play; he smiled at her, as if he was so darn proud of his first move, that Eshe had to restrain a snort of amusement. He was truly adorable - too bad she was going to wipe that grin right off of his face.

Eshe placed her counter in the column beside his, and he took his next turn, dropping a counter into a column closer to the edge. Eshe's eye twitched imperceptibly as she glanced up at his smug, knowing face; his move wasn't what she had anticipated he'd do - it wasn't the way beginners usually played - and then she realised Atem had no intentions of playing _predictably_. He'd heard the advice she'd given Téa, and he aimed to use that advice to his advantage. He was playing to win.

' _Oh no you don't_ ', Eshe thought, her eyes narrowing on the boy, ' _You are not gonna beat me at MY game._ '

They'd played back and forth in silence, communicating only with their expressions, while Téa watched curiously beside them, visibly interested in who would come out on top.

Their first match was a draw, and Eshe chewed her bottom lip slightly as she quickly reset the frame for their game to continue; she had yet to wipe the complacent smile off of Atem's face and she was growing antsy over the fact that the boy's first game had ended in a draw… against _her_?

Well, she supposed she should've expected it; Atem was no idiot, he was a fast learner and he'd been paying close attention to all five games she won against Téa. The little sneak had been studying her playstyle the whole time.

They played again, and again, each time resulting in a draw, and Eshe was growing frustrated at Atem's exceedingly smug look; she didn't know why he was acting so stuck up - a draw was not a win.

During their fifth match, Tristan made a noise of triumph as the fire grew strong and he sat back to brush his hands and view his handiwork; the momentary sound broke Eshe's concentration and she took her eyes off of the game for a hot second. When she looked back, she narrowed her eyes at the frame.

' _Fuck. I can't remember where I was_ ', Eshe had completely lost her train of thought; she had been in the middle of predicting Atem's next four moves and now her efforts were in vain.

She took her next turn anyway, not finding comfort in the way Atem's smile grew as she carelessly dropped her counter into what she assumed would advance her winning chances.

Atem placed his counter and crossed his arms, and Eshe rose her hand to drop another counter, before pausing, looking closely at the frame.

' _...fuck_.'

Eshe's mouth fell open; Atem had successfully dropped his counters in a way that made her next move utterly useless, for he had two possibly places where dropping a counter would result in his win… and Eshe only had one counter to block him.

Clenching her jaw, she placed a counter in a column to block one of his possible victories, hoping that _maybe_ he just hadn't noticed he could win. It was a fat chance, given how observant the boy was when it came to games.

Atem dropped his last counter, securing a win, and grinned at Eshe, eyes searching for approval; of course… only _Atem_ could ruin her spotless _Connect-4_ record.

She could blame Tristan for stealing her focus, but she knew that wasn't fair - it was her own fault for allowing herself to be distracted. Atem had beat her fair and square. Téa seemed unsurprised at the boy's win, biting her lip as she witnessed Eshe's not-so-thrilled reaction.

Initially, Eshe felt kinda pissed at how easily Atem seemed to get the better of her as a beginner when she'd been playing the game since she was four years old, but the more she reflected on it, the more she realised that she was… _utterly impressed_ by his aptitude.

Once again, his confidence and competence was captivating.

A flush grew from her collarbone up her neck to bring vivid colour to her cheeks, her face could probably give the campfire a run for it's money, and she gave Atem a shy smile.

"Good job", she spoke quietly, and Atem rubbed the back of his neck as a rosiness advanced on his own cheeks.

" _Hey_ , are we ready to get this party started?" Joey cried out as he dashed towards the camp, hopping over a fallen log to come to a stop by the ice-box that contained a _whole_ lot of sodas.

The group gathered around the warmth of the campfire, pulling sodas and snacks from the food boxes while they decided on what to do first; Joey suggested they start with telling creepy ghost stories but Tristan broke out a box of familiar playing cards and asserted that it was time to play _UNO_.

"You're kidding me, right? That game ruins friendships", Eshe laughed as Tristan pulled out the card deck.

"Nonsense! This game only strengthens the bond we all share", the brown-haired boy proclaimed, "So who wants to play?"

"Not me, I'm not ready to rage against you all", Eshe snickered, moving her chair beside the picnic blanket where Tristan was setting up to play, "But I'll happily watch."

"Same here, _UNO_ will just make me cranky", Téa agreed.

"Oh, and before I forget", Tristan spoke as the other boys gathered round, "I brought somethin' special-"

The others watched curiously as Tristan dug around in the icebox, reaching for something buried deeper within, before producing a bottle of red wine and two cans of beer.

"Ta-dah!" Tristan exclaimed, holding up the alcohol.

"Six teenagers alone in the woods, playing UNO and underaged drinking. Hope this isn't the beginning of a cheap hollywood horror movie", Eshe remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"How did you even get that stuff?" Yugi asked with widened eyes.

"Swiped 'em from my parents stash", the brown-haired boy spoke with a secretive grin, "anyone want some? Sorry I couldn't get more, my folks would've noticed something missing."

"That's fine, I don't really like the taste of alcohol", Téa waved a hand dismissively and Eshe agreed.

"Man, you know my dad has alcohol issues", Joey mumbled, eyeing Tristan with disapproval, "none for me."

"Fair enough", Tristan nodded, and turned to the other two boys, "what about you guys? Yugi, Atem?"

Yugi seemed to contemplate it for a moment before ultimately declining, but Atem held out his hand with a gratified smile, "I'll have the wine."

Eshe's eyes widened minutely at the tanned boy as Tristan handed him the _whole_ bottle.

"Alright, I'm glad _someone_ appreciates my alcohol smuggling efforts. I'll have the beers, you might as well take the whole thing since I'm not big on wine", Tristan spoke.

Eshe certainly hadn't pictured Atem as someone who drank alcohol all that much, but the tanned boy took the bottle of red wine with a pleased look, fiddled the cork out of the glass neck and took a confident swig of the beverage, licking his lips free of the red liquid.

Atem just kept surprising her; how was it that everything he did only made him seem more alluring?

The predictably rambunctious game of _UNO_ went on for a disturbingly long time; every time Atem or Yugi came close to winning, the other would drag them back from the brink of victory, meanwhile Tristan and Joey were struggling with handfuls of many useless cards, unable to get ahead of the two apparent _UNO_ professionals.

At one point, in fact, Eshe found herself dozing off slightly, before jumping awake, shaking her head free of sleepiness. She couldn't fall asleep yet, they'd hardly gotten their 'camping party' started and she just _had_ to see how this ridiculously rowdy game would end.

After an hour, Atem had drank two-thirds of his bottle of wine and was beginning to grow just a _little_ bit tipsy if the way he spoke was anything to go by; he was louder and more chatty, nothing like his usual self.

Yugi held two cards and was watching Atem with a confident smirk; Joey placed down a yellow 5 card and Atem glared at his hand of four cards with a scrutinising gaze, eyes flickering towards Yugi to try and suss out what cards remained in the boy's hand.

Atem threw down a blue 5 and Yugi let out a triumphant 'hah!' as he added a blue 2, calling out, "Uno!" as his hand was reduced to just one card.

"Tristan, change the colour!" Atem ordered, and the brown-haired boy gave him a skeptical look.

"I don't _have_ a colour-changing card!"

" _We can't let Yugi win!_ " Atem disputed, an unhappy knit in his eyebrows.

"I can't help it if I don't have the right card, man!" Tristan argued, adding a blue 6 to the pile; Atem's heavy gaze turned to Joey and the blond had to draw until he had something he could play, at which point he turned his dark eyes on Atem with a pointed grin.

" _Don't_ you _dare_ ", Atem grumbled in a low voice, and the blond smacked down a colour-changing +4 card, forcing Atem to add a further four new cards to his current three.

"You _traitor_!" Atem hissed, taking a gulp of wine, much to Eshe's amusement, before drawing his cards and playing a +2 to foil Yugi's chance at winning, "take that, _partner_ ", the tanned boy grumbled, and Yugi glared at him.

"Oh, you're only delaying the inevitable, Atem!" the King of Games quipped confidently, earning a grunt from the tanned boy.

It was hilarious to see Atem act as such, and even more hilarious when the boy drained the remainder of his wine and managed to take the lead back from Yugi.

Atem's cheeks were pleasantly rosy from his drinking escapades; Eshe could tell he hadn't lost all his inhibitions just yet, the boy was quite tipsy but not a drunken wreck - which meant the boy was used to drinking. If it was Eshe drinking, she'd probably be face-down in the dirt, completely passed out by now - she was such a lightweight.

Yugi seemed comically furious that he was now losing to his brother, and the tanned boy was utterly overjoyed - his big toothy grin was evidence of that; Atem even turned to wink at Eshe before throwing down his penultimate card and declaring "Uno!", although his winking was a little uncoordinated and it looked more like he was just awkwardly blinking.

Eshe liked tipsy Atem. He was looser and more playful.

This time, Yugi implored Joey and Tristan to try and botch Atem's potential victory; it was truly ridiculous how competitive the two brothers were getting over a harmless game - maybe it was for the best that the two didn't grow up in the same home. Game nights would have been a _bitch_.

"YES! _King of UNO!_ " Atem cried as he slammed his final card down, winning the game. His enthusiastic exclamation startled Eshe, nervous giggles bubbling out of her as Joey and Tristan groaned in frustration.

"I _demand_ a rematch!" Yugi squabbled.

"NO!" Eshe and Téa screeched simultaneously.

"No, you've been playing for over an hour!" the brown-haired girl added.

"God, I can't take anymore of this! Can we do something else?" Eshe pleaded, pressing her hands together in imitation of begging.

Joey snorted, "Yeah, this went on for way too long. Let's tell ghost stories now!"

"But… Atem beat me", Yugi pouted, " _While drunk_."

"I'm not drunk", Atem contended, raising a waggling finger, before turning to Eshe with a smug smile on his face, "Did you see me beat Yugi? Wasn't that great?"

Eshe gnawed on her bottom lip to hide a smile as Atem once again looked to her for approval; it was hilarious and endearing, "Are you _sure_ you're not drunk?" she asked, hand covering her mouth to restrain a giggle. Atem dropped his gaze, a different kind of redness breaking out on his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment; he cleared his throat and didn't respond.

Atem became quiet for the next half hour, sitting around the slightly waning fire with the others as the atmosphere for horror storytelling became appropriate; Tristan pushed some more logs into the fire and the wood crackled as the flames licked it, growing more lively.

The group unpacked a few fuzzy blankets and made themselves comfy; the fire was still providing an adequate amount of heat to the front of their bodies but their backs were vulnerable to the cool night air. Eshe glanced up as the leaves rustled in the light breeze and pulled her blanket snug around her; the moon was bright and full tonight, providing deficient light alongside the fire, but luckily they had a few flashlights to brighten their little assemblage.

' _This is wonderful_ ', Eshe thought, breathing the smell of the lake water in the air; once again she was reminded of how amazing it was to have such engaging friends - she wished briefly that Leela was on good terms with them all so that she might've invited her along.

Unfortunately, the girl continued to be unnecessarily moody about sharing Eshe with others.

"Alrighty, it's time for me to tell you all the story of the _nightmare house_!" Joey spoke, waving his hands around with wiggling fingers in what he probably assumed was a 'spooky' gesture.

"Sounds lame", Tristan added under his breath, and Eshe snickered.

"Shut ye mouth! Now, our story begins on a dark and stormy night…"

Why did campfire horror stories always seem to begin on a dark and stormy night? Eshe shared a look with Tristan that said 'Oh, I'm quaking in my boots' - heavy sarcasm implied - and humoured Joey, leaning forwards to listen to him over the crackling fire. He seemed very excited to tell it, so Eshe wanted to at least give him a chance to bring forth the frights.

Unluckily, Joey wasn't all that amazing at telling ghost stories; when his tale reached an end, he was greeted with blank faces.

"Joey… that wasn't really scary…" Yugi murmured carefully, not wishing to hurt the blond's feelings.

"Yeah, what the hell, man? That was disappointing. I thought the quiet nerd was gonna be the killer the whole time, not the bully… too obvious, dude", Tristan grumbled.

"Well I'd like to see _you_ do better!" Joey screeched, a big pout on his insulted face.

Tristan shook his head, "Man, I don't have any horror stories to tell", the boy spoke, turning his head to the others, "Atem, what about you?" The tanned boy just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Téa? Eshe?" Yugi asked, turning curiously to the girls.

Téa hummed thoughtfully, searching her brain for a good horror story to tell, but came up with nothing. Eshe, on the other hand, smirked slightly.

"Well, I do have _one_ story I could tell…"

Everyone leaned closer with interest, and Eshe cleared her throat, "You guys ever hear the story about the six friends at the _Black Lagoon_?"

The group shook their heads indulgently, and Atem raised an eyebrow, eyes flickering around at the others before returning to her with a slight smirk; obviously realising there were six of them there just like there would be in her story - it was simply a tactic she intended to use to make this story just that little bit creepier.

"Alright… our story begins on a calm and peaceful afternoon", Eshe said with a grin, eyeing Joey as she spoke, "to celebrate their first year in university, six friends decided to go camping in the wilderness-"

"Oh, brother", Tristan snorted, and Eshe eyed him sternly; he mumbled a quick apology for interrupting.

"They drove several hours from their hometown until they discovered the perfect spot beside a gorgeous lagoon, surrounded by foliage - _the Black Lagoon_ \- it was nestled beside a cliff, ideal for diving. They set up camp near the woods close by and spent the whole afternoon swimming in the warm, clear water. As the sun began to set when the evening closed in, one of the friends - let's call him… _Joseph_ -"

"Really? Am I gonna straight up die in this story?" Joey quipped sarcastically.

"Can I please continue my story without any interruptions?" Eshe responded with a carefully arched eyebrow.

"Sorry, I gotta go to the little boy's room anyway- keep the story coming, I'll listen out!" Joey spoke, hopping up to stumble past the other three boys and towards the cover of the trees.

Eshe rolled her eyes and continued, "One of the friends - Joseph - was a bit of a show-off, and decided he would climb to the highest point on the cliff to impress his friends with a daring jump into the watery depths below. His friends egged him on, cheering as he jumped from the cliff edge, and laughed as he plummeted into the lagoon. Their laughter subsided after a while as they waited for Joseph to surface. Thirty seconds passed, and the five friends rushed off the bank and into the water, diving in to search for him. Struggling and sputtering among the reeds in the water, they looked hopelessly for him, until finally they disentangled themselves and surfaced for breath…"

She paused briefly for dramatic effect, and the others only seemed to lean ever closer, entranced with her story.

"They never saw their friend again. Joseph was gone. Heartbroken, the five friends returned to the city, a strange and lonely year passed in which their only solace was the knowledge that they would return to the lagoon to honour the anniversary of Joseph's death."

Téa shivered as Eshe spoke in a low, quiet voice; she'd always been great at telling spooky stories.

"A year to the day Joseph plunged into the water, the five friends returned to the _Black Lagoon_. They left the cover of the trees and headed towards the water, and froze. There on the bank, kneeling at the edge of the lake, was Joseph. His head was bowed, back turned to them, and he knelt unmoving. Excitedly, they five friends called to him, but he did not turn. They rushed towards him and called out desperately, but still to no avail."

The story was interrupted by the sound of a slight splash in the water, and their eyes were drawn to the lake with fear, shoulders high with anticipation and heads receding into the cover of their blankets.

"...Probably just a fish?" Yugi whispered as they strained their ears to catch any other noises, but there was nothing else.

Eshe raised an eyebrow, before returning her attention back to the others, a slight smirk on her face, "The five friends had no idea why Joseph wasn't moving. He was standing right there, alive, and they were overjoyed to see him, but it was as if he couldn't hear them… that's when they saw it…"

She paused again, watching her friends eyes widen in apprehension.

"There, at the waterside, they saw not _one_ , but _five_ makeshift memorial graves, each marked with a cross and a bouquet of flowers in front of each one."

Eshe closed her mouth, waiting for the spark of realisation to appear in her friend's eyes, and slowly, one by one, they all realised the twist.

" _What!?_ I did _not_ see that coming! Joseph was alive the whole time but all the friends drowned searching for him?" Tristan exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Ohh, I just got shivers again", Téa remarked, clutching her blanket closer.

"I have goosebumps", Yugi stated, holding up his arm with a grin.

"Guys, I don't know if I wanna go swimming in the lake tomorrow after all", Tristan admitted, bringing forth a laugh from the group. Eshe's eyes flickered to Atem, who honestly didn't seem all that creeped out by her story; she didn't take it to heart, apparently he was only afraid of fast rollercoasters and nothing else.

Eshe paused, "You know… there's actually a rumour I heard about this lake right here…" she murmured offhandedly, and Téa raised an eyebrow at her inquisitively.

"Huh? What rumour?" Tristan asked, and Eshe smirked, shaking her head slightly.

"Just something I heard - I looked the place up when you suggested it and I saw a story about someone who actually _did_ drown here…"

"What!? You're lying, I never heard anything about that!" Tristan accused her, and Eshe shrugged.

"I swear! There's been ghost sightings as well! Apparently a young guy drowned here, and people say that when midnight approaches, and the moon is high in the sky, you can sometimes hear his voice… warning careless teens away from the deep waters-"

" _HEY, BE_ _CAREFUL OF THE WATER, GUYS!_ "

Tristan, Yugi and Atem all _screamed._

Like, they actually _SCREAMED_ as Joey jumped from behind the trees and into the clearing, jokingly playing along with Eshe's story with his roaring assertion. As the boys realised they'd on the receiving end of a well-concocted prank, they all groaned, slumping in their blankets against the ground, still breathing heavily from the terror of their sudden fright.

"That was _priceless_! Thanks Joey!" Eshe was almost crying with laughter, tears of hilarity threatening to fall from her eyes as she high-fived the blond, who sat down smugly in his seat. Téa, who had been sat beside Eshe and opposite the boys the whole time, had seen Joey cautiously approaching, and was also covering her mouth to hide her mirth.

"That was _not_ funny!" Yugi snapped, a hand on his chest as he recovered from the terrifying experience.

"I think my heart stopped", Tristan groaned, blushing from embarrassment at his high-pitched screech.

Atem was covering his face, shaking his head as his breathing evened out, before he turned to glare at Joey, "How long were you waiting there to scare us?"

"Literally like five minutes. Eshe saw me after I threw a rock into the water to freak you all out."

"So that's what that splash was!" Yugi squeaked, eyeing the blond as if he had personally betrayed him.

"You should've seen your faces. That was the most fun I've had in forever", Joey snorted, grinning at Eshe, "Thanks for that chance."

"Thanks for playing along", Eshe returned, wiping the wetness from her eyes. She looked up at Atem who shook his head in disapproval, though his lip was curling ever so slightly in amusement.

"It's getting quite late, past midnight actually, perhaps soon we should think about turning in?" Téa suggested to the group, and Joey gasped.

" _Wait!_ There's _one_ more thing we have to do before we go back to the tent!" Joey exclaimed, jumping up to retrieve something from the bottom of the food supply box. He produced a clear tupperware container which was filled with little red things.

"We gotta play 'Truth or Dare or Hot Pepper'!" The blond exclaimed, and Eshe's eyes widened.

"Okay, first off, _truth or dare?_ Really? What are we, twelve? And secondly, did you say _HOT PEPPER_?"

"It's simple, it's basically truth or dare, except you have the choice to refuse either, but if you do, you HAVE to eat a hot pepper", Joey explained, placing the clear container down at his feet. He grabbed one of the empty beer bottles and placed it in the centre of the circle.

"We're actually playing truth or dare?" Téa mumbled, eyeing the others closely, "You guys better not ask me anything weird or dare me to do something impossible. I hate hot peppers."

Eshe frowned slightly, noting the smirk that Tristan shared with Joey; it seemed like they were up to no good - not that she had the right to complain about mischief after the fear stunt she pulled with Joey - but she had an inkling that they had something planned.

Yugi seemed apprehensive - maybe he'd played the game with Joey and Tristan before, and perhaps it had been a not-so-fun experience?

Atem just looked mildly confused, like usual.

"Who wants to go first?" Joey looked around the group.

"I guess I will", Eshe raised her hand, leaning vaguely on the hope that going first meant that statistically, she wouldn't be the 'victim' anytime soon - but she knew really that that wasn't true. She could very well be called upon on the next turn to spill an embarrassing secret or do something ridiculous.

Eshe spun the bottle, and it landed on Yugi, who seemed immediately concerned; she smiled apologetically at him.

"Truth or dare?" Eshe asked.

"Umm… truth?" Yugi answered hesitantly.

Eshe had a feeling that Yugi had a thing for Téa, she'd seen the way he looked at the blue-eyed girl sometimes when he thought no one was paying attention, but Eshe wasn't known for her above-average perception for nothing. However, she didn't want to embarrass Yugi in front of the whole group, certainly not by encouraging him to admit his crush.

"Okay, tell me - your hair. Does it stand like that naturally or do you use a whole bottle of hair gel every morning to make it look like that?" Eshe asked with a smirk; technically her question was aimed at both Yugi and Atem, and she'd been dying to know the answer since day one without asking rudely - now was the perfect opportunity.

Yugi squeaked indignantly, "It's _natural_ , thank you very much!"

Eshe laughed, nodding her head. ' _Wow. That's wild. His totally natural, real hair. Amazing'_ , she thought to herself.

They played the silly high-school, slumber party game for a good half-hour, and it remained pretty tame; no one was forced to admit to their crush or do anything crazy humiliating just yet. Joey had to grumpily eat a hot pepper when Tristan dared him to text Seto Kaiba and admit that the millionaire was by far a better duelist than himself - it was pretty hilarious as he hurriedly grabbed an ice-cold soda to quickly down it and soothe his burning throat.

At one point, Yugi dared Atem to imitate an elephant and the tanned boy glared at him for a few seconds before plucking up a hot pepper and shoving it into his mouth fearlessly; though it was funny to watch Atem begin to pant and fan his mouth with his hand.

It was all fun and games until Joey spun the bottle and it landed on Atem; the blond's eyes widened and his smirk grew so big that he resembled a very toothy shark.

Atem's eyes narrowed on the blond, returning his predatory grin with a challenging look, ready to take on anything Joey had to offer. Eshe rose an eyebrow, wondering what the blond boy had in store for Atem.

"Truth or dare?" Joey asked, and Atem seemed to contemplate the question for a moment, glancing at the others before looking at the hot peppers with disdain.

He sighed, and answered, "Alright. Dare."

"HAH!" Joey exclaimed, shoving a victorious fist into the air, "I dare you to kiss Eshe!"

Eshe froze, as did Atem, _as_ did Yugi and Téa. It seems Tristan had been the only other one expecting Joey's challenge, and suddenly their earlier exchange made a lot more sense.

"I… what?" Atem blinked his wide eyes a few times, almost entirely sobered up from his earlier tipsy state, "What?"

"You heard me, Atem", Joey spoke, raising his eyebrows suggestively, "I dare you to kiss Eshe."

Atem's mouth fell open as Eshe's face turned red; didn't she get a say in this? Sure, she wanted to kiss Atem, but she would absolutely rather it was on her own terms.

Slowly, Atem turned his gaze cautiously to Eshe, who could feel the heat rising off her cheeks - and it had absolutely nothing to do with the campfire. There was a long, drawn-out silence and it was driving her crazy that no one was saying anything.

She almost wished Atem would valiantly snatch up another hot pepper and stuff it into his mouth while staring Joey right in the eyes, unblinking, but no such luck occurred.

Instead, Atem stood up, prompting her heart to begin racing.

Oh, he was actually going to kiss her. Atem walked cautiously around the fire and knelt down beside Eshe, who kept her wide gaze on the boy; everyone was watching them in silent anticipation.

For a long moment, he just sat there staring at her, and Eshe had no earthly idea why he wasn't doing anything, until she caught the inquisitive look in his eyes and realised he was waiting for her to give any indication that she was okay with this.

Eshe's face warmed further, something that she didn't think was possible, and decided that she was alright with their first kiss occurring this way. Eshe smiled, and nodded her head.

Atem's eyes reflected the flickering light of the fire and shone with underlying nervousness, at her consent, he drew in a sharp but quiet breath and leaned forward; Eshe's eyes slipped closed as she braced herself for the contact.

His pursed lips pressed against hers, his nose bumped against hers.

Atem's dry lips tasted vaguely of hot pepper, Eshe could unfortunately smell the wine on his breath, and above all, it was like kissing a brick wall.

Eshe pulled away all-too-quickly, her eyes shooting open in surprise while Atem straightened up, frowning at her slightly. The look on her face must have been evident of how… _terrible_ that kiss was, because suddenly Atem was bright red, covering his face with his hands in what Eshe could only interpret as mortification.

Well, that hadn't gone as Eshe had hoped.

Damn.

Figures that the boy she was utterly infatuated with just had to be the worst kisser ever.

Eshe cleared her throat, eyeing the ground as her cheeks grew pink from embarrassment; everyone had seen that ridiculous display and she could see them staring in abashed confusion.

"It's late. I'm going to bed", was all Eshe said, pulling herself to her feet with impressive speed to turn and head towards the tent without another word.

* * *

"Hey, uh, you asleep?" Téa asked hesitantly as she unzipped their private sleeping compartment some time later; the brown-haired girl stepped inside and zipped the entrance back up to eye the motionless sleeping bag across from her, "Eshe?"

"Yeah, I'm awake…" Eshe grumbled, her voice muffled from the layers of material she had crammed her face into to try and squeeze the embarrassment out of herself.

Téa let out a mildly amused huff and smiled apologetically at the bundled up ball of humiliation, "I can tell you that right now, no one is more embarrassed than Atem", the brown-haired girl spoke, and Eshe poked her head out of her sleeping bag to respond in a whisper.

"That was just… so awkward. I shouldn't have gone along with it… Atem clearly didn't _want_ to kiss me-"

"What makes you say that?" Téa asked, equally as quiet.

" _What makes me say_ \- Téa, did you _see_ all that go down? It was the most uncomfortable kiss ever, I know Atem wasn't fond of the hot peppers but it's not like any of us would've forced him to eat one if he'd just said 'no'." Eshe mumbled in tired frustration, "But instead he just… shoved his face into mine- oh my god, do you think he's ever kissed anyone before? What if that was his first kiss? _Oh my god, why didn't he just say 'no'?_ "

" _Eshe_ \- chill out! You've got it all wrong. I think Atem was just a little bit nervous, he's totally into you- I swear-"

Eshe shook her head, sighing exasperatedly at Téa's words, "Can we just… forget about it? This night was going perfectly until we decided to play that childish game. I'm hoping tomorrow we can all wake up and continue this weekend as if that never happened- please?"

Téa frowned and closed her mouth, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth before nodding slightly, "Sure, don't worry about it… tomorrow will be fine. I hope you sleep well."

"Thanks, Téa. Sorry I'm grumpy."

Téa smiled slightly, "Hey, I understand, alright? It'll be fine. Night night", the brown-haired girl said softly as she slipped into her own sleeping bag.

"G'night Téa", Eshe whispered, and snuggled up in her cocoon of warmth.

* * *

 _Princess Eshe sat cross-legged on the edge of the pond as she watched her dear crow, Sabiya, search the grass ahead for insects to feast upon; she was such a beautiful bird, and so clever too - it was as if she could actually communicate with the black crow, like Sabiya knew exactly what she meant when she spoke._

" _I'm glad you like her", Prince Atem spoke beside her, smiling fondly at the bird he had picked out and gifted to her for her fifteenth birthday._

" _I love her", Eshe whispered, turning to smile at boy beside her, "and I love you, thank you so much, Atem. She's the best gift ever."_

 _Atem smiled widely at her, his eyes flickering shyly to glance at her soft lips; a very telling gesture that made it obvious he wanted to kiss her._

 _Eshe smiled as a thought came to her and she turned back to her pet bird, "All these gifts you've been giving me; I'm going to have to find something very special to give you on your next birthday, or perhaps a wedding gift...", she spoke playfully, gentle fingering the gold and lapis necklace that hung around her neck, and Atem shifted closer to her on the stone ledge of the pond._

" _Mmm?" he inquired curiously, the low timbre of his hum reverberating pleasantly in Eshe's ears as he leaned slightly towards her._

 _They were to be married in a matter of months, "Now, what do I get a rich prince who can have anything he wants at the wave of a hand?", she thought out loud, biting her tongue between her teeth as she grinned._

 _Atem lightly bit his lip, nuzzling his nose against her ear, "What about the taste of your lips against mine?" he whispered, breathing hot air against her skin._

 _Eshe turned slowly, looking into Atem's deep purple eyes, their lips only inches apart, "Is that all you desire?"_

" _It's everything I want."_

 _Atem leaned forwards to close the barely-there gap between them, and Eshe grinned, her hand running down the prince's shoulder to brush against his upper arm… and then she shoved him with all her strength into the pond._

 _She jumped up quickly, giggling hysterically as the prince tumbled head-first into the water, attempting to catch himself from falling by reaching out for the ledge, but his bid was in vain and he plunged head-over-heels into the small pool, scaring the fishes to the other end of the pond._

 _Eshe stepped away from the edge, laughing loudly as Atem surfaced, coughing and sputtering in shock while he attempted to right himself, pushing his sagging hair out of his face._

" _W-what was that for!?" Atem stuttered as water dripped down his face, Eshe snickered through the hand that was covering her mouth, her giggles permeating through the air, a sound that brought the prince joy regardless of its cause._

" _ **That**_ _was for convincing Mana to go along with your silly prank last week-" the apprentice magician had hidden in her clothing chest under Atem's orders, and when the princess had gone to open it up, she'd received quite a fright, "-that'll teach you to spook your wife-to-be!"_

 _Atem blinked a few times, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, "Ah- come on! It was just a joke! You play them on me all the time!"_

" _Well if you're not going to apologise, maybe I should stave off kissing you again until our wedding night", Eshe threatened, though a smug smile remained clear on her face, and crossed her arms over her chest._

 _That was enough to intimidate the prince into snapping his mouth shut, Eshe knew just how to get to him, Atem couldn't last so long without a kiss from his beloved._

" _I'm sorry I played a silly prank on you", he spoke with a pout, and Eshe giggled again, pointing a finger at his drooping bangs._

" _You look like a jackal that took a bold swim across the Nile", Eshe quipped, and Atem glared at her, pulling his water-drenched self up into a standing position. The water reached just below his knees and he petulantly stood with his hands on his hips, the whole 'intimidation-factor' was a little frayed due to his sodden appearance._

 _Eshe's eyes travelled to his chest where his tunic was soaked through; it stuck to his chest and she could see the outline of his muscles, and not only that but she could just about see the flawless skin of his thighs through his kilt._

" _Come here", Atem snapped frivolously, jerking forwards to try and grab her. Eshe squealed, jumping away to avoid his grasping hands, but he waded forwards through the water and climbed over the pond ledge._

 _She tried to outrun him, but the prince was faster._

" _PUT ME DOWN!" Eshe cried as Atem hoisted her up on his shoulder; the prince was chuckling, a slightly menacing hint to his mirth._

" _Shouldn't have shoved me into the water, my princess", Atem mocked, climbing back into the pond and dunking her in the water._

 _Eshe should've expected the boy wouldn't let her off so easily, but she could never stay mad at him, even if he ruined her perfectly braided hair in the fish-ridden water; and that's why they simply ended up making out enthusiastically, both soggy and sopping wet._

* * *

When Eshe awoke very early on Saturday morning, for a split second she couldn't remember where she was; after a moment the events of the previous night came back to her and she groaned slightly, the feelings of humiliation rising up inside her once again. Eshe shuffled slightly in her sleeping bag, the fresh morning sunlight shone through the nylon material of the tent, highlighting the damp condensation running down the outside of the textile in droplets.

It had to be before six o'clock, the chill air was crisp against her skin as she shuffled out of her warm cocoon; she slipped on her slippers and very quietly unzipped the tent compartment to exit into the main area. From what she could tell, the others were all still sleeping soundly; and for good reason, it was still very early and they hadn't gotten to sleep until after one o'clock.

Her dreams always broke her sleeping pattern, she definitely wouldn't be able to get in another couple of hours, not with the light shining in and the sweet chirping of birds singing.

Eshe left the tent, enjoying the feeling of the cold air biting at her skin, making her feel refreshed and awake; she took a walk, heading for the small dock a little ways away from the camp.

She sat down on end of the pier, her legs dangling above the clear, undisturbed water; unlike her apartment back in the city, she could really _breathe_ here, the cool oxygen purifying her lungs, no polluting exhaust fumes from rush-hour traffic.

The wood of the dock creaked behind her and she spun around, startled by the noise.

Atem slowed to a stop behind her, clutching a blanket around himself to shield his body from the frigid morning breeze, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you… I heard you get up."

Eshe bit her lip, looking away briefly as she remembered their last encounter, before pushing it to the back of her mind. No need to dwell on that experience, and Atem was probably in a rush to forget about it too.

"Sorry I woke you." Eshe murmured, shivering slightly as a chill crawled up her back; she probably should've put on another layer or brought her own blanket out like Atem had the common sense to do.

Atem shook his head, a sleepy smile on his face as he stepped up beside her and shimmied down to sit at her side, legs dangling beside hers.

Eshe took a good look at the boy; she could see that he had yet to wipe the sleep away from the corners of his eyes, his eyelids were drooping slightly and his hair was in quite the disarray - though come to think of it, she probably didn't look that much better. Without a word, Atem let the blanket slide off of him and he placed it tenderly around Eshe's shoulders.

"What about you?" Eshe asked softly, appreciating so completely the incredibly considerate gesture from the boy, and she clutched it tightly, delighting in the remnants of his leftover body heat.

"I have warmer pyjamas", Atem told her, swinging his legs idly as he looked down at their reflections below.

It was true, Eshe wore a tank top and shorts, while Atem had smartly chosen to don a long sleeved pyjama shirt and long pants; Eshe cocked her head at his sleepwear, the soft blue material was covered in many little Kuribohs.

"I love your pyjamas", Eshe whispered with a grin, and Atem blushed slightly, leaning forward slightly to admire the clarity of the water.

She raised an eyebrow as she noticed he still wore his deck holster, "Were you expecting to duel someone out here?" she asked with moderate amusement, nodding her head to motion the belt around his waist.

Atem huffed out a slight chuckle, "No, I just like to keep my deck close with me at all times."

"And the Puzzle too?" Eshe continued, eyeing the pendant around his neck.

"That too", Atem confirmed.

"You're a strange person, Atem." Eshe commented, smiling down at the water.

"I hope you meant that in a nice way?" Atem inquired, raising a teasing eyebrow at her.

"Of course. I'm a strange person too, so… yeah", she trailed off, ending that thought before the rest of her remark tumbled out of her mouth; she bit her lip and cleared her throat, glancing over as something caught her eye.

Atem's pyjama shirt was a size too big for him, and was hanging loosely off of his shoulder, revealing a plentiful amount of flawless tanned skin, his pronounced collarbone so pointy and _perfect_ , but that wasn't exactly what drew her gaze. Something silver was hanging from his neck - she'd seen it before, and just assumed it to be a silver chain necklace, but something was hanging from it.

"What's that?" she inquired curiously, and Atem followed her gaze to the item hanging around his neck.

"It's my cartouche."

"A what?" Eshe shook her head, unsure of whether she had heard him correctly and the boy smiled in amusement.

"My cartouche, with my name carved into it in Egyptian hieroglyphs", he looked up at her searchingly, "they were… worn by pharaohs", he murmured, his head tilting ever so slightly.

Eshe snorted, "Huh. You and your pharaoh obsession", she giggled, "so why do you have one?"

"It was given to me by Téa, so that I never forget my name", he told her, and Eshe looked at him strangely.

' _Why would he ever forget his name?_ ' He really was strange… but that was what she liked about him.

They fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's quiet company, listening to the singing birds nesting in the trees at the edge of the woods.

"Eshe", Atem spoke after a while, and she looked up at him curiously, noting his saddened tone, "about last night… I- I'm sorry for what happened. I know I embarrassed you- I should've just… not done what I did. I shouldn't have drank all that wine-"

"Atem", Eshe cut him off, "just forget about it. It didn't… it didn't mean anything. It was just a silly game."

Atem's eyes shifted and Eshe bit her lip regretfully as a flicker of hurt flashed through his expression; the tanned boy hung his head, looking back down at the water in silence.

She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings, she had only meant that Joey's ridiculous dare and the _event_ that followed was something they shouldn't dwell on; nevertheless, she knew what would cheer Atem up.

"Wanna play a game?"

Atem looked up at her inquiringly.

"Wait here", Eshe told him, smiling as she pushed herself up and walked back down the length of the dock. Atem didn't take his eyes off her as she plucked up the _Connect-4_ game that had been left out overnight by the extinguished campfire and made her way back to the end of the dock.

"I want a rematch", Eshe stated, sitting back down beside him as she set up the frame, separating the red and yellow counters into two piles. Atem smirked at her, shifting into a more comfortable game-playing position.

"But this time, there's a catch. If I win, I earn back my _Alector_ card", Eshe explained, eyeing him carefully as she spoke. Atem rose an eyebrow, a genuine smile reaching his face.

"And if I win?" Atem inquired, a sweet inflection to his deep voice.

"Name your prize", Eshe shrugged.

"If I win", Atem spoke, eyes flickering from the game to Eshe's eyes, "I get to kiss you one more time."

Eshe straightened up in surprise; she had genuinely thought that the reason last night's kiss had been so terrible was because Atem didn't _want_ to kiss her, but then if that was true, _why_ did he want another go? He was silent while she contemplated; she wasn't so sure, it really hadn't been that great of a kiss…

' _If he wins and I have to experience another embarrassing kiss… ah well, the others aren't here to gawk at us this time. What the hell._ ' She thought to herself.

"Alright. If you win, you can kiss me one more time", Eshe nodded, and then smirked, "but I _won't_ lose this time."

Atem's smirk grew, "We'll see."

"Go ahead, Atem, take the first move", Eshe offered, motioning with her hand.

Atem confidently slotted his first counter into the frame, the same first move as before, as she expected. She wouldn't fall into his trap again this time, in fact, she had her own technique to win this time around. She took her turn, quiet and focused, and he took his, egoistic and assured, they continued like this for a short while until they'd inserted almost half of their counters.

Now it was time to put her plan into action.

"So, uh, no offense, but you're the worst kisser ever."

Atem froze, arm raised mid-way to play his counter before retreating minutely, the boy frowned at the insult, lips parted consternation at the harsh way she delivered her verbal quip.

"What?" he murmured, a put-down expression on his face, and Eshe felt bad immediately, but she had to win this damn game.

"Honestly, I expected better. I was pretty shocked, felt like I was kissing an Atem-shaped doll instead of the real deal", Eshe spoke nonchalantly, as if they were discussing something as insignificant as the weather.

Atem steeled his jaw at her words, slotting his counter into a column with a tad more force than necessary, "I was… it wasn't- that wasn't how I'd usually kiss…" he grumbled, clearly not happy with her apparent disregard of his feelings.

"Yeah, not sure I believe you", Eshe jeered, a snarky smirk on her face as she took her turn.

"I'm telling the truth!" he argued, eyes narrowed in a deep frown, "I was put on the spot, they were all watching- I'm _sorry_ it wasn't fantastic", he wasn't happy, and Eshe's smirk dropped as he continued to take his turn with confident ardor.

Her distraction technique wasn't working as well as it should've, and she was just stoking the proverbial fire with her mean words; perhaps she could take a different approach.

"So you were nervous?" Eshe asked carefully, slotting her counter into a column.

"Couldn't you tell?" Atem drawled with a hint of combative sarcasm, shoving his counter into the column next to hers; his eyes flickered across the rows, searching for a possible victory.

"Were you nervous because that was your first kiss?"

"What? No, I- I've kissed a girl before", Atem eyed her closely and she raised an eyebrow.

"I see, so you were just… not thrilled at the prospect of having all eyes on you?"

"Right", Atem nodded slightly, his voice and face softening slightly.

"I suppose I can relate. Sorry for calling you a bad kisser, I was just teasing you…" Eshe murmured, dropping her next counter, "Actually, I would like to see how you kiss when you don't have a bunch of teens staring at you…"

Atem paused, cheeks growing slightly pink, "Really?"

Eshe smirked as she watched him place his counter, "Yep, it's a shame you're not going to win. You're already cute as you are, but I bet you look even cuter when you're breathless after a hot make-out sesh", she winked daringly at him, and delighted at the desired effect.

His face turned red, and he stuttered slightly, "Well, I- I, um…I'm-"

Eshe slotted a counter and her tongue darted out to lick her lips, "-a damn pretty boy is what you are."

Atem seemed entirely taken aback with her sudden turn about and superfluous flirting, he looked downright adorable with his expression, a mix of flustered confusion, absolutely beautiful.

"T-thank you…" he stammered, his hand fidgeting with his counter before he found a place to slot it.

"No, thank you", Eshe responded, slipping her next counter in.

Atem raised his hand to place his next counter, but Eshe stopped him, curling her hand around his wrist gently; she looked up at him with an affectionate smile on her face, and he blinked, dropping his gaze to scan the frame.

He hadn't noticed Eshe's last counter had solidified her win.

"O-oh", he spoke, lowering his hand and staring at the game for a long moment.

"I told you I'd win", Eshe spoke with a grin, resetting the frame and moving it aside, she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers.

"I'll be taking my card back", she said with a playful lilt, and Atem smiled, his attempt to hide his disappointment was unsuccessful; Eshe could see it in his eyes.

He reached into his deck holder, procuring the Duel Monsters card carefully from the safety of its confines, and he handed it to Eshe. Eshe took it gently, happiness rolling off of her in waves, content to have her favourite card back where it belongs; and so completely grateful that Atem had taken good care of it.

"Thank you", she whispered.

"You won it back, fair and square", Atem remarked, and Eshe smiled, regarding the boy with a look of admiration.

"Atem?"

"Yes?"

"How about you just kiss me anyway?"

His gaze locked with her's, surprise shining in his stunning purple eyes, she saw his throat quiver as he swallowed, and he blinked a few times, his long eyelashes fluttering irresistibly; his lips parted in an unspoken question, and she nodded her head, wetting her lips in anticipation.

Atem shifted, moving closer to her, kneeling in front of her; in that moment, there was nothing but them, no lake, no trees, no tent on the bank, _just them_ , suspended in a moment.

And then he leaned in.

Inches apart, Atem reached up, his palm lightly cupping Eshe's cheek, thumb brushing her skin tenderly, and he tilted her head back and pressed his lips against hers.

Eshe's eyes slipped closed, the noise of her inhaling suddenly through her nose seemed deafening, along with the sound of blood pumping through her ears. Tingles began in her lips, travelling pleasantly in waves throughout her entire body, the delightful smell of petrichor mixed entirely with Atem's wonderful, natural scent filled her nostrils.

It was so delicate and loving, and Eshe had never been kissed in such a way before.

And then, sadly, he pulled away, it was over all too quickly for Eshe's liking, and she blinked her eyes open, mouth hanging slightly open in amazement; she felt like her breath had been stolen from her, and when Atem opened his eyes, Eshe was captivated by the way his purple eyes had darkened further.

Dazedly, Eshe moved her hand to clutch his upper arm, "Kiss me again."

And he did, his lips brushed against her's for a second time, the brief chaste touch turned quickly into a ravaging plunder as suppressed desires were unleashed; his hand brushed through her hair as she leaned into the passionate kiss.

When they parted again, Atem's cheeks were deliciously flushed and he didn't pull away from her, his face remained close to her's and his eyes were shining with something Eshe wasn't sober enough to evaluate at that moment.

"Again, _again_ ", Eshe breathed, and he listened, holding her close as he kissed her again, and again, and again.

Eshe retracted everything she had said about Atem being a bad kisser. That was nonsense. Atem was the best damn kisser she had ever had the pleasure of kissing, _fact_.

* * *

 **Notes: Yes, I know what you're thinking. FINALLY. I worked literally all day on this, so PLEASE review, I beg you! :)**


	21. The Way You Did Once Upon A Dream

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty: The Way You Did Once Upon A Dream

 _It was warm that night; the soft white linen of Eshe's sleeping gown stuck to her lightly perspiring skin as she lay relaxing against the soft sheets of her bed, waiting for her husband to return from his princely duties of the evening. Atem's sixteenth birthday was swiftly approaching and the preparations for the celebrations of the day in question were in abundance._

 _While Atem always enjoyed being the centre of attention on his birthday, the arrangements leading up to the day were always so tedious; the prince found it tiring and absurd that he had to pick and select and choose everything from wine to dancers - everyone in the palace knew his preferences on all the banquet and entertainment matters, and yet he was called upon constantly to confirm his material desires._

 _He went along with it, of course, with a polite smile on his face; it wasn't the fault of the servants that they had to constantly pester him on his favourite fruit or his favourite musical instrument or which colour he wanted to see the dancers dressed in, they were just doing their jobs._

 _Eshe was waiting for him now, reclined atop their bed, watching the gently burning brazier through the curtains of the balcony; the orange light flickering within the darkness of the late evening was mesmerising and calming._

 _She hoped Atem would return soon, the warm air of the evening was mellow against the bare skin of her arms and legs, and she just couldn't stop thinking about him._

 _Her thoughts had begun pure enough as she imagined his shining eyes, soft smile and affectionate touches when he held her close, but her contemplation quickly travelled down a passionate path of sensuous images. In her mind, she could see Atem's eyes half-lidded with lust, his lips parted as he released unsubdued breaths of pleasure, and his fingers tracing feather-light caresses up her thighs._

 _She wanted him close, the brush of his lips against her neck and the experimental contact of his daring fingers as he searched for sensitive flesh, looking for areas that would make Eshe's breath catch in her throat._

 _He was always so gentle._

 _Eshe shivered slightly as she brushed the fingertips of her right hand against her lips while her left hand trailed against her stomach shyly through the fabric of her night gown._

" _...Atem", she whispered on a quiet exhale, her eyes closed while she imagined the way he would shudder pleasantly in response to her speaking his name in such a way._

 _The suddenness with which the doors to their shared bedchamber swung open left Eshe startled and bashful at the compromising position she had been discovered in; Atem closed the doors behind him as he entered._

" _I'm sorry I-" he paused mid-apology - whether he was apologising for his abrupt entrance or the fact that he was back so late, Eshe couldn't tell - and his gaze flickered over her body and up to her face with an ascertainable gaze. The corner of his mouth curled upwards slightly and Eshe swallowed, very aware of his scrutiny._

" _What were you doing before I came in?" he asked with an innocent lilt to his voice, but his unwavering stare was anything but innocent._

 _Eshe knew exactly what he was thinking; either Atem had picked up on her perceptive abilities or it was painstakingly obvious what she had been doing before the prince entered the room. Her legs were pressed tightly together, her cheeks were radiating heat and glowing pink, her skin was damp with sweat and she knew for a fact that her nipples were hard and probably very visible through the thin material of her gown._

" _I was lying here… thinking about you", she told him, and his smile grew._

 _Excitement flashed in his eyes, his hands clenched briefly and he caught his tongue gently between his teeth, "Thinking about me?" he repeated, stepping closer to the bed, "Thinking about me in what way?"_

 _Eshe became conscious of how dry her mouth was, and coyly licked her lips to bring back the moisture; she raised her arms to rest against the pillows by her head and began to play with her hair, shyly twirling it with her fingers._

" _Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased him, and Atem's eyes flashed with a thrill; he removed his crown and his jewelry hastily followed, placed haphazardly on the bedside table, and he quickly tugged his tunic top over his head, leaving his toned chest bare to Eshe's keen eyes._

 _Atem crawled over the bed, predatory and eager, and Eshe reached for him immediately as he hovered above her on his hands and knees, the desperate desire to touch him overtook her, and as her fingers curled around his bare waist, he let a soft purr leave his mouth, and dipped down to capture Eshe's lips._

 _He kissed her slowly, savouring the moment and the taste of her; Eshe hummed quietly at the familiar feeling of his soft lips pressing against her's._

 _Eshe's fingers caressed across his abdomen and Atem smiled against her mouth, no doubt amused by her tickling touches; he kissed from her mouth down her jawline and breathed hot air against her neck._

" _Atem", Eshe whispered, head falling to the side pliantly, allowing him easier access to administrate playful nibbles against her skin; she shivered and moaned as his tongue darted out in grazing licks down her collar._

 _Her flesh broke out in goosebumps and he chuckled against her shoulder, his hand groped boldly at her thigh and his thumb hooked below the rim of her night gown, dragging it up the length of her leg._

"Eshe!? Are you getting up or what!?"

Eshe jerked awake, clutching the bedsheets hard against her chest as she hurriedly responded to the voice coming from the other side of her bedroom door, " _What!?_ What? Yeah, I'm getting up! ...Go away!"

She sounded very much like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have, and she could tell from the way Leela paused outside her door that her response seemed wildly full of suspicion.

"Uhh, okay, just saying. Are you still meeting Téa at the diner?" Leela called, and Eshe gave a frustrated sigh and nodded, before realising that her roommate wasn't able to see her.

"Yeah, I'll be up in a minute", Eshe replied, and listened for Leela's absconding footsteps before she allowed herself to remember her very steamy dream.

Her face was red and hot, and her body tingled pleasantly with the ghostly remnants of dream-Atem's wandering touches; it had been two days since the boy had kissed her for the first time on that early Saturday morning while they sat on the lake dock, blissfully unaware of of anything except for the exquisite taste of each other's lips.

Now, waking up on Monday morning, she realised she was in too deep; dreaming erotic dreams about the boy she liked left her feeling somewhat guilty, like she didn't have the right to imagine another person in such a way without their consent - she felt weirdly as if this was a breach of Atem's privacy.

And yet, she was extremely disappointed that Leela had chosen that moment to interrupt her glorious fantasy.

Eshe sighed again, peeling back the covers off of her slightly sweaty body - sensual dreams will do that to you - and slinked slowly out of bed; her memories of the previous day were coming back to her now.

She had returned home on Sunday afternoon with a huge smile on her face, piquing Leela's interest, at which point Eshe had brushed off her marvelous mood with the rampaging thought of ' _DO NOT TELL LEELA ABOUT THE KISS_ ', and promptly declared that she was going to shower.

Eshe had offered to drive Leela to work on Monday morning, given that she had agreed to meet Téa at the diner so that they could spend the day together, but her wild dream left her dazed and distracted, allowing lewd thoughts to buy her time.

' _Probably shouldn't draw this dream_ ', Eshe thought to herself as her eyes slipped briefly over her sketchbook lying on her desk; if Leela ever got her hands on such an image, Eshe didn't know if she'd ever be able to explain herself.

As Eshe hurried to get dressed that morning, she let her thoughts travel to Atem - the _real_ Atem - and the time they had spent together following their affectionate escapades on Saturday morning. They had finally stopped kissing at one point, after the both of them had bruised lips, and they'd spent the next few hours sitting close and admiring the serenity of the water. To Eshe and Atem's relief, the rest of the group had decided to forget about the embarrassing truth or dare affair, and their camping trip had continued as if it hadn't happened; though it had been difficult for Eshe and Atem to find more time alone together for the rest of the weekend.

And Eshe _did_ intend to spend a lot of alone time with Atem from that point onwards.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Leela inquired with a curious, though concerned, arched eyebrow as Eshe pulled up into the carpark beside the diner. Eshe blinked over at the other girl, confusion plain on her face.

"Yeah, why?"

"You've just been weird since you came back from that camping trip. More so than usual."

Leela smirked as Eshe pouted at the girl's observation, "In what way?" she murmured, an underlying tone of cautiousness to her words over what her roommate was implying.

"As in you've been day dreaming like crazy?"

Eshe rolled her eyes and exited her car in a mild huff, locking the doors behind her as Leela hopped out of the passenger seat, regarding Eshe with an expectant stare, awaiting her response.

"I just had a fun weekend, that's all. I wish you could have come", Eshe responded; the two fell in step together on their way to the diner and Leela snorted slightly at her statement.

"You and I both know that that wouldn't have been a good idea."

Eshe glared at her friend out of the corner of her eye, pursing her lips together in an unimpressed expression, "Yeah, except maybe if you apologised to Atem then things could be different…"

Leela's eyes flickered to Eshe as she frowned, "Hey, I'll apologise when I see him, okay? Don't rush me."

"Rush you? It's been over two weeks… you could just call him from my phone and apologise. It _wouldn't_ be that hard! Even a text, just- _why_ do things have to be awkward and complicated? I would very much like if you and Atem could get along so we could all hang out together or something…"

Leela's eyes shifted to the ground as she sighed, "I'll apologise to him when the opportunity arises."

Eshe frowned, shaking her head slightly at her friend's insistence of procrastinating the matter; it would be so easy for her to say sorry to the boy and _that would be that_. But no, Leela had to be abstruse. It was just in her nature.

A tickle of turbulence grazed the back of Eshe's neck which had absolutely nothing to do with Leela's agitating antics, and she paused in her step, a familiar feeling of dread sinking in her stomach. She turned her head, her gaze converging on the streets behind her and she was vaguely aware of her friend's confusion over her sudden stop.

Eshe noted an unmistakable shift of movement, a figure stepping backwards into the cover of darkness between an alley they'd been hanging near; they'd been watching her, at least that's how it had seemed. That's how it had certainly felt, unambiguously so, the feeling of a malicious stare burning into the back of her head.

"What? Eshe?" Leela asked cautiously beside her, trying to suss out what exactly had her friend's attention so wholly; her eyes were wide and held a hard gaze, flickering from Eshe to the direction the tanned girl was staring.

Eshe swallowed, her eyes lingering on the entrance to the alley, which was now vacant of a particular shadowed being; her thoughts loitered on Atem's words from the week before, " _If that thief is still around then it could be dangerous…_ ", and the sheer certainty in his voice that trouble had been lurking nearby.

Reaching blindly for Leela's wrist, Eshe quickly turned to continue a brisk walk towards the diner, dragging along her perplexed friend with not so much as an explanation.

Téa was already waiting for Eshe when she and Leela stumbled into the building; Leela reluctantly wandered away from her to begin her work shift, while Eshe sat down nervously at the booth that was occupied by the brown-haired girl.

"Is everything okay, Eshe?" Téa asked, blinking curiously at Eshe's jittery behaviour.

"Yeah, I'm fine", Eshe shook her head, "really, I am." She forced a smile, pushing her nerves out of her mind; perhaps her fears were extraneous and she'd simply seen an innocent citizen taking a shortcut through a dim alley. That's it. She was just reading too much into it.

She had to stop letting her imagination get the better of her; instead, Eshe smiled brightly at Téa and pointed to the diner exit.

"You wanna go shopping?"

* * *

"Do you know what Atem's favourite colour is?" Eshe asked absently as she picked through a series of frilly, patterned shirts hanging on the display rack, she glanced up to see a knowing smirk on Téa's face and blushed slightly.

"Why d'you wanna know his favourite colour?" Téa inquired, though from the look on her face, it was clear she already knew the answer.

Eshe playfully rolled her eyes and pulled out a pastel orange shirt, "What about this? Do you think he'd like this?"

Téa grinned, and giggled like a lunatic, "You're so cute", she squeaked, and Eshe shook her head, trying her best to restrain the bashful smile fighting its way onto her face.

"Shh", Eshe hushed, "Does he like orange?"

"He'd like any colour that's on you, Eshe", Téa remarked, an insightful smile on her face, and Eshe shook her head again, biting her lip at the implication.

"Stop it", Eshe giggled, and Téa insisted.

"Honestly! You could wear the most garish, ugly, tasteless clothes in the world and he would still think you're the most gorgeous thing he's ever seen."

"Did he tell you that himself?" Eshe asked skeptically, hanging the orange shirt back on the rack and picking out a lilac blouse with dark purple embroidered flowers climbing up one side of the torso.

Téa shook her head, "He doesn't need to tell me, I just know. Female intuition." She explained with a wink, and Eshe smirked.

"I see", Eshe nodded. "On our first date, he wore purple", she recalled, "so I think I'll buy this."

Téa smiled, an interesting expression that seemed to indicate she knew more than she was letting on, and Eshe wondered whether Atem had told her about the early morning kisses they had shared.

"It's a shame your first kiss was a result of that silly truth or dare game", Téa commented in a sympathetic way and Eshe nodded idly as she continued to flick through the various pretty clothes, a dreamy smile on her face.

"Such a shame", Eshe repeated, but at the mention of 'kiss', her brain was immediately reminded of the more _passionate_ encounter that had been hovering in her thoughts ever since it had happened.

Téa seemed entertained by Eshe's absent-minded reaction, noting the far-off look in her eyes and the content smile on her face, "Okay, when did it happen?

Eshe blinked, "Huh?"

"You two kissed for real. When did it happen?"

Eshe blushed immediately, "What? How did you know!?"

Téa smirked, " _Female. Intuition_."

Covering her face slightly to hide her bashful appearance, Eshe quietly squeaked, "Saturday morning, real early. We sat on the dock and made out."

Eshe hadn't entirely anticipated the squealing reaction Téa proceeded to give; the brown-haired girl seemed extremely happy at the confession and it only made Eshe grow more flustered.

Téa giggled, "Sorry, I'm just- this is awesome, _finally_ , we've been waiting for you two to properly hit it off!"

Eshe shook her head, an incredulous smile on her face, " _What?_ Since when!?"

"Since, like, from the beginning", Téa affirmed, a cheerful expression of mirth on her face, "ahh, it makes me so happy!"

It was clear from the way the corners of Téa's eyes creased as she smiled that her happiness was genuine, and warmth bubbled in Eshe's stomach to know that her friend was authentically delighted at the assertion that she and Atem were _maybe, perhaps, sort of, totally_ a couple now.

Eshe bit her lip, subconsciously playing with her hair, "I'm glad you're as happy as I am about it", she chuckled, "y'know, it's weird, I know I've only known him for like a month and a half but honestly… it feels like so much longer…"

"Yeah?" Téa prompted as Eshe trailed off, a strange look in her blue eyes; a studious look of contemplation passed over her face.

Eshe raised an eyebrow at Téa's curious reaction, "Yeah… I feel like I've known him my whole life."

Téa's eyes widened minutely, but Eshe's watchful gaze caught the micro expression and saw a mix of wonder and rumination in her eyes; she didn't press for an explanation.

* * *

As mid-afternoon approached, Téa and Eshe left the mall with their new clothing purchases, walking below the cherry blossom trees creeping over the sidewalk; shopping with Téa was quite a different experience from shopping with Leela. Leela was very sprightly when it came to visiting the mall, she always bounced from store to store, very focused on picking up whatever she liked.

Téa was calm and gradual when it came to exploring clothing and makeup stores; she ambled along at Eshe's pace, pausing to make friendly comments, " _that shirt would look great on you!", "You should get that skirt- let's find some shoes for you that match!"_ and it was a nice change of pace to choose where to go next, unlike when she went out with Leela.

"What do you wanna do now?" Téa asked as they came to a stop at the street corner, and Eshe smiled slightly.

"How about we-", Eshe held that thought as she caught sight of a familiar figure standing across the street.

A mess of wild black hair framed the young boy's disgruntled face as he glared down at his phone, looking up occasionally to glance around searchingly; a hint of worry in his violet-grey eyes.

"Is that… Mokuba?" Eshe wondered curiously, pointing over Téa's shoulder. The brown-haired girl turned and hummed with piqued interest.

"Yeah, it is. He looks agitated about something", Téa spoke, a slight frown on her face, "Let's go talk to him."

Eshe followed the brown-haired girl across the street towards the younger Kaiba brother; she'd met him briefly the day the group had all gone to Kaibaland, but from what she'd learnt of him, he was a little more considerate and certainly less scary than his sibling. The young teen had offered her a bottle of water when he'd seen her pale face, obviously showing friendly concern for her woozy state.

He'd made a good impression on her, unlike the intimidating Seto Kaiba.

"Hey Mokuba, you okay?" Téa inquired as they reached the boy, he looked up with a brief flicker of nervousness before recognition settled in and he gave the two girls a small smile.

"Oh, hey Téa, and… Eshe, right?" Mokuba waved his hand and Eshe smiled brightly, giving a quick nod, "I'm fine, I'm just… a little stuck right now."

"Stuck? Stuck how?" Téa asked.

" _Well_ , I was hanging out with some friends today at the mall and I was supposed to call Roland - he's our driver - when I was finished here so that he could come pick me up, but um, my phone kinda ran out of charge. I don't know his phone number off by heart. My bro's probably worried sick...", the young boy trailed off sheepishly, a slight pout on his face.

"Ohh, hmm", Eshe scratched her chin, she couldn't picture Seto Kaiba being 'worried sick', but it was clear he had a very different relationship with his brother than he did with Yugi and the others, "why don't you take the bus home?"

Mokuba didn't seem fond of the idea, "I've never had to take the bus before, I don't really know the schedules", he rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly.

Eshe nodded, she understood his aversion to public transport if he'd never used it before. Once, in her youth, Eshe had gotten on the wrong bus as a result of being misinformed about the transport routes - needless to say, she'd ended up somewhere unfamiliar and tearfully pleaded a stranger to help her find her way home. It wasn't exactly the highlight of her life, but she had been lucky the stranger was willing to help her.

Eshe was a charitable person, and she knew that she couldn't leave Mokuba all alone outside the mall with no means of communication and no way home; especially not when she was reminded of the mysterious figure she thought she'd seen watching her that morning.

"I can drive you home", Eshe offered with a nonchalant shrug, and Mokuba blinked up at her, lips parting hesitantly.

"I- are you sure?" he murmured, and Eshe smiled and nodded.

"It's not a problem", she affirmed.

"I can give you gas money", Mokuba suggested, a small, appreciative smile on his face, but Eshe brushed off that proposal.

"No need, it's fine, really!" Eshe gave him a thumbs up and a tumble of gratitude fell from the younger boy's mouth at her generosity. Téa smiled at Eshe as the tanned girl kept a modest approach, insisting it was fine and that it wasn't a big deal.

As it turned out, Mokuba was very chatty once the three of them returned to Eshe's car; very specifically, he was very interested in asking Eshe a lot of questions about herself, her involvement with the game Duel Monsters, and whether she had enjoyed her visit to Kaibaland.

Eshe humoured him and answered his questions, admitting to her nervousness over the duel she had played with Drago, and her discouragement over the icy stare Seto Kaiba had given her upon witnessing her humiliating defeat.

"Ahh, don't take it personally, my bro is like that with everyone", Mokuba explained.

"I kinda got the feeling he'd regretted inviting me into the park", Eshe chuckled nervously, catching the slight head-shake from Téa out of the corner of her eye.

"That's not true! He wanted to meet you-" Mokuba paused as Eshe gave him an extremely doubtful look in the rearview mirror.

"Wanted to meet me? What?" Eshe laughed, "You're pulling my leg?"

Mokuba glanced briefly at Téa before smiling nervously, "He was just… curious about you, you know, since you're Atem's girlfriend and all that. He was expecting you to beat Drago."

Eshe braked a little hard as they reached a red light, a flurry of questions wisping through her head at Mokuba's words; she cleared her throat at the wide-eyed looks the other two gave her and mumbled a quick, "Sorry!" for the unforeseen jerk of the car.

Firstly, how did Seto Kaiba know about her and Atem's couple status… _before_ it was a confirmed thing? Atem and Seto didn't seem like the buddy-buddy type to share with each other their romantic endeavours. Secondly, why did being Atem's girlfriend demand Seto Kaiba's curiosity? What was so interesting about her to the billionaire CEO? Again, Atem really didn't seem like the type to sit down and have a chat about their relationships - especially given that in the time she'd known Atem before visiting Kaibaland, he'd hardly mentioned the CEO. Eshe hadn't even realised Seto and Atem were friends until they'd dueled; she always thought Seto's rivalry landed with Yugi.

She concluded that Atem and Seto must have had a complicated friendship, however, there were still unanswered questions in her mind; perhaps she would question Atem about it next time they were in each other's company.

If they weren't too busy making out, of course.

When Eshe pulled up outside the gates to the Kaiba Mansion, Mokuba released another string of thank-you's and hopped out of the car, calling out an "I owe you one!" before approaching the entrance to the drive and keying in a code on the keypad. The gate unlocked and Mokuba headed on through.

"He likes to talk a lot, huh?" Eshe commented light-heartedly and Téa chuckled slightly, nodding her head in agreement.

A few days later, Eshe would realise just how lucky she was to have offered Mokuba Kaiba that lift home.

* * *

Thursday was not being kind to Eshe; she was frustrated and fed-up from a cocktail of issues, firstly, she'd accidentally slept through her alarm clock and hadn't woken up until half past eleven in the morning, when her management had called her asking why in the world she hadn't turned up for work at ten o'clock. Then she'd had to endure the taxing presence of difficult customers, which may have possibly had something to do with her sour mood anyway, but Eshe preferred to think it was everyone else who had the problem, not her.

Given her late start, Eshe was made to stay a little later and close up the cafe while Haru got to leave ten minutes early, offering her an aggravating, yet smug, crude facial expression as he skipped out the door with sarcastic glee.

Eshe grumbled to herself as she cleared away the rest of the polished cutlery into the drawers and rounded the counter to retrieve her personal belongings from her locker in the staff room; it was late evening when Eshe finally left the building, it wasn't late enough to be pitch black, but there was an atmospheric tint of gloomy blueness to everything.

The street was almost deserted as Eshe slipped into her car; far-off shapes seemed grainy and blurred under the lack of light, she quickly clicked her seatbelt into place, shoved her key into the ignition and turned it…

Nothing happened. The car growled in an attempt to start up, juddering a few times, but the engine failed to start.

"What? Why?" Eshe snapped, an edge of desperation to her voice as she twisted the keys again several more times.

' _Well this is just fucking wonderful_ ', Eshe thought with rising animosity over her situation; the car remained unstarted and she shoved her face into her hands and groaned.

Her mood had been oscillating intensely the last few weeks, she'd gone from feeling high on life to hitting rock bottom and then back to feeling great, as if it was an endless loop, and now she was beginning to think it was just _not fair_. Why did things have to keep ruining her perfect mood?

Eshe sighed, and took an exasperated glance down the street; she _could_ just walk home, but once again there was the trifling thought in the back of her mind that it was dangerous for her to walk alone, that something could happen to her, that there was something more to Atem's gentle warning than paranoia.

' _Maybe I could text Atem…_ ' she thought, but quickly squashed down that idea; most likely if she were to inform Atem of her predicament, he would insist on coming to find her, but she didn't want _him_ to be walking around alone if there were precarious figures lurking in the shadows.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the phone number of anyone who owned a car that lived nearby and would be willing to pick her up, which left her only one choice.

"Well fuck", Eshe murmured, and exited the vehicle, locking it behind her, but not before giving it a hard glare over its choice to abandon her, "I'll be back for you tomorrow, and after that we're gonna have a long, hard talk."

With a steadying breath, Eshe began walking the familiar route back to her apartment building; there was a slight chill to the air and the moonlight was obscured by dark, overcast clouds that seemed ready to burst with rainwater.

It was nine o'clock and the streets of Domino were quiet and seemed dismal under the cloaked sky with no illuminating light to bathe the scene in a comforting glow; there were a few people around but none of them elevated a sense of panic in Eshe's mind, to her relief, they all seemed to be going about their night, returning home after a long day of work, like herself.

Feeling a little better about her predicament, Eshe turned a corner and entered an alley that she knew was a shortcut to the next block over; as she stepped out of the comfort of the lamppost light, all the ambient noise in the distance seemed to just fade out.

Eshe paused, an odd feeling overcoming her, she didn't quite know if it was a feeling of complacency or dread; but as she reached the middle of the alley, she realised there was something not quite natural about complete silence in the middle of a city.

It felt as though she'd stepped into a bubble in which there were no disturbances, no sound, no sinister breeze, no absence of warmth; Eshe felt as if she should be terrified, but there was just a feeling of ease within her.

It reminded her of some of her nightmares, greeted with a situation that should induce fear, but instead there was a forced sense of security inside her.

She didn't like it.

Something was wrong.

She looked over her shoulder.

Eshe broke into a run immediately at the sight of the silhouetted figure standing stationary at the threshold of the alley; adrenaline pumped through her veins as her footsteps echoed loudly in her ears, she couldn't hear anything else.

She sprinted as fast as she could, out of the alleyway, and the distant sounds of traffic returned, she didn't stop to check whether the ominous being was chasing after her; she didn't care, she just had to get away.

Her lungs burned for oxygen, but still, Eshe ran.

She rounded three corners and reached a main street; there were cars stopped in traffic and more people in sight, walking down the pavement, none the wiser to Eshe's situation. The presence of life comforted her slightly, the idea that nothing terrible could possibly happen to her with so many witnesses around; she slowed briefly, coming to a stop to lean against a wall and bend over, gasping hard to try and recover her breath.

"Hey."

Eshe jumped, startled as she swung around at the sound of a voice. It wasn't a friendly 'hey, are you okay?', it was more of a 'hey, I'm talking to you, look at me' tone, and it did nothing to assist her in her fearful state.

It took Eshe a moment to recognise the owner of the voice; a fancy car had pulled up alongside her at the edge of the pavement and the backseat passenger window was lowered to reveal a vaguely disinterested face.

"Seto?" Eshe gasped out, and while she had only met the boy once, and he'd regarded her with a very aloof attitude, she was _so_ glad to see a familiar face.

The young CEO watched her with an icy gaze, quiet and observing for a long moment, and Eshe began to think he wasn't going to speak again, until he spoke, "What are you doing running around back alleys?"

There was a _hint_ of suspicion in his gaze, and Eshe quickly rubbed her eyes, taking a cautious step away from the darkness of the narrow lane she'd run out of and towards the shiny car, "I- I was, my- car. My car wouldn't start", she stammered out, wondering how legible she sounded in her rushed explanation.

Seto continued to look at her with his unwavering expression, "Get in the car."

Eshe blinked, "Wha-?"

Seto rolled his eyes, "Did I stutter? Get in the damn car, and be quick about it."

Eshe swallowed, and gave one more guarded glance over her shoulder, before opening the car door to shimmy in across from the young billionaire; she glanced at him questioningly, waiting for him to speak, but instead Seto leaned forward to give Eshe's apartment address to the driver.

"...How do you know where I live?" Eshe asked quietly as she buckled in her seat belt, blinking curiously at the blue-eyed teen sat across from her.

"I am a knowledgeable man", Seto responded, scrutinising her unblinkingly, and Eshe lowered her eyes under his intimidating gaze; she knew he could see the remainder of panicked tears that had welled up in her eyes during her hasty escape from her apparent shrouded stalker.

"What happened? Did you lose another duel?" Seto spoke impassively with an ever-so-slight upwards tilt to one of his eyebrows; if it wasn't for Eshe's acute perception, she wouldn't have caught the indifferent CEO's attempt at a joke.

So he _did_ have a sense of humour.

"Oh, you're so funny", Eshe murmured, sending the boy a quick glare, which caused a smirk to form on his sharp face.

An uncomfortable silence followed in which Eshe wondered why Seto Kaiba had even cared to stop when he'd seen her; she obviously hadn't made such a great impression on him at Kaibaland given his appalled reaction to her inferior dueling and above all, he didn't exactly seem like the charitable type. However, when it came to judging someone's character, Eshe _had_ been wrong before.

Her ex-boyfriend, Chad, hovered briefly in her mind. He'd thought him perfect until she'd found out he was a horrible human being. Perhaps she was wrong about her initial judgement of Seto Kaiba.

The car journey went relatively quick, and Eshe looked up with subtle surprise as they arrived - she must've been lost in thought for a long time.

Eshe looked up at Seto to see him watching her with an expectant expression, she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and shuffled towards the car door, but not before glancing tentatively out the window, searching, making sure there was nobody lingering nearby; she didn't miss the way Seto's eyes narrowed at her movements.

"You were being followed."

Eshe swallowed hard, fear instilling on her face, "How did you…?"

"I'm not an idiot. It's quite obvious from your behaviour", Seto stated. So, the CEO was an incisive, observant person, much like herself.

Clenching her jaw, Eshe nodded in confirmation, "I- uh, thank you for… bringing me home…"

She was extraordinarily lucky that Seto had driven past right at that moment; if the billionaire hadn't told her to get into his car, that _person_ might've caught up to her and robbed or attacked her… or worse.

Seto rolled his eyes and shrugged his tense shoulders, "You brought Mokuba home. Now we're even."

Eshe felt gratitude swell up in her chest and gave the blue-eyed teen a small, meaningful smile, "Really, Seto, thank you."

He responded with an exasperated sigh and another overdramatic roll of his eyes, "Whatever. Don't mistake my restitution for sentimentality."

Seto crossed his arms, looking down at Eshe over his pointed nose and waited for her to get a move on; Eshe nodded slightly, biting her lip at his cold snap, she reached for the handle and opened the car door, slipping out with a suspicious glance around her. She walked briskly towards the double doors and into the foyer, and noted pointedly that Seto's car didn't pull away until she was safely up the first flight of stairs.

* * *

Today was one of _Those Days_ , Eshe thought as she slithered out of her bedroom on Saturday morning. She felt mechanical. Everything she did felt fabricated and wrong; she'd had to pinch herself several times to make sure she was actually awake because the world around her just felt… illusory and fictitious.

It would be so easy for her to just crash on the couch for several more hours, but she didn't dare allow herself to be late to work again, especially while she was looking forward to seeing Atem on her lunch break.

At least her car had been retrieved and inspected; it turned out the vehicle had nothing wrong with it, it was just a ' _hiccup_ ' as the mechanic had put it. _Apparently_ it sometimes happened.

Eshe hadn't mentioned her run in with the frightening individual to Leela, and she hadn't spoken to Atem about it just yet. She intended to, in person, but she didn't want to send him a cryptic text that might make him worried.

Grabbing her handbag, Eshe stumbled out of her apartment and paused at the top of the flight of stairs, apprehension crawling up her back, along with a sickly sense of nausea; she gripped the handrail with a white-knuckle grasp and descended the steps slowly and steadily.

It wasn't fun climbing down a stairway while the edges of your vision were slowly darkening.

Somehow, Eshe managed to reach the foyer, pushing through the lethargy that was tugging at her mind; she remembered the words that her childhood therapist once told her when she was fighting through a particularly rough week following an endless stream of nightmares.

" _Don't let exhaustion beat you."_

Eshe groaned, blinking the darkness from her peripheral vision; she was fine, she just had to get to work and then endure her shift until lunch time. Atem would help her feel better, he always did, just his mere presence was enough to bring a smile to her face.

She would be fine.

Eshe left the apartment building, her footsteps heavy on the hard pavement; she quashed down the rising queasiness that threatened to spill from within her and pressed on, reaching her car.

But not before that dreadfully familiar tickling feeling of being watched brushed the back of her neck.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

Eshe threw the car door open and jumped inside, slamming it shut and quickly hitting the manual lock; she breathed hard for a moment and started the engine, keeping her eyes forward as she applied pressure to the accelerator and pulled out of her parking space.

 _Don't let exhaustion beat you._

It was an interesting phrase, one that Eshe understood to mean 'No matter what, keep pushing forward. Don't let yourself crumble under pressure. Drag your body through the obstacles you face without hesitation.'

Eshe was just a child when her therapist had told her those five words; it was easy enough for her to misinterpret what the older woman had meant.

 _Don't let exhaustion beat you…_ as in, _know your limits_. Remember, you're only human; sometimes, it's okay to sit down and take a well-needed break.

She knew her therapist had meant well, but it was always important for a doctor to make sure their patient understood exactly what was being communicated. Everything was always clearer in retrospect, for example, maybe Eshe, in such an ailing state, shouldn't have gotten into her car that morning.

And maybe Eshe's therapist would have brought her point across without any doubt if she had instead told the girl…

 _Don't let exhaustion kill you._

* * *

Atem entered the confectionary cafe at one o'clock in the afternoon, glancing attentively around the booths in search of the girl that always made his heart beat faster with just a glimpse; the room was busy but Eshe was nowhere to be seen.

Joey and Yugi followed in behind him as he reached the conclusion that she was still in the back room retrieving her belongings; he moved to sit at an empty table with his friends when he caught sight of the rather discontent expression of Haru at the counter.

The silver-haired server double-taked as he caught sight of Atem and immediately Haru's face scrunched up slightly in irritation, " _Hey,_ don't suppose you know where Eshe is today?"

Atem blinked at the vexed tone the other boy took, before realising the weight of his words, "Wait, what? She's not here?" Yugi and Joey shared a confused stare, before looking expectantly at Haru for an explanation.

"She didn't turn up for her shift this morning! It's been four hours, man! Probably sleeping in again", he grumbled out, "I tried calling her but her phone's turned off."

Atem clenched his jaw, turning to Joey and Yugi with an expression of burgeoning concern, and Joey shrugged slightly.

"Perhaps she's taking a sick day?" the blond suggested.

"No, she texted me this morning before she left", Atem recalled, his brow furrowing, deep-set with worry; he slipped his phone out of his pocket and dialled her number.

It went straight to voicemail, not even ringing once, and at the same time the cafe's corded phone began to sound.

Haru answered the call with a monotonous tone, "Hello, this is the confectionary cafe, how can I help? ...Yes, this is Haru."

Atem fidgeted as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and perked up slightly at the sound of a familiar name. "Huh?" Haru continued, "Leela? Eshe's roommate, right? What's up with her? Is she planning on coming into work today or what?"

Haru abandoned his facetious tone as the smirk dropped from his face, eyes widening slightly, "Oh shit, _what?_ Is she okay?"

Atem jumped to his feet, crossing the room in two impressively long strides for legs so short, and snatched the phone from the silver-haired boy's hand. Haru let out a grunt of dismay and glared at the tanned boy for his rude abduction of the phone, but Atem didn't care.

" _Leela?_ Where's Eshe? What's happened?" Atem demanded loudly as Joey and Yugi quickly joined his side; Haru muttered something under his breath and walked away to serve another customer.

" _Atem, is that you?"_ Leela's voice came hesitantly, a hint of distaste in her delicate tone, and Atem clenched his jaw at the lack of information he was being fed.

"Yes, _where is Eshe?_ " he repeated, clearly desperate for an answer.

"... _She's at the hospital. She was in a car accident this morning"_ , Leela explained after a moment.

Atem felt himself gasp, mouth falling open in shock, a million thoughts running through his head, but mainly an urgent hope that Eshe was alright.

" _I suppose you wanna come visit her? Domino hospital, you'll have to check in at the reception desk as a visitor. She's admitted under the name Amelie Creed."_

Atem swallowed, struggling to absorb everything that Leela was telling him while he was still reeling from the knowledge that Eshe had been hurt, "Uhh.. uh- right, o-okay", he stammered, and heard Leela sigh on the other end of the line.

" _Oh yeah, and about the other week. I'm sorry for my behaviour, okay?"_ Leela spoke with quick nonchalance, the words tumbling out of her mouth hastily.

"O-okay… uh, wait, is-" he was greeted by the sound of a drawn-out dial tone, signifying that Leela had hung up, he stared at the phone for a moment longer before turning to the other two accompanying him.

"We need to go to the hospital."

* * *

Eshe groaned slightly as she blinked her tired eyes open, squinting under the bright whiteness of the room she was in; her chest ached a little, but apart from that she felt a whole lot healthier than the last time she had been conscious.

"Hey, dumbass, welcome to the afterlife."

Eshe's eyes shot open wide at the sound of a familiar voice and she turned her head slowly to find her best friend sitting in the chair at her bedside, arms crossed with a stern look on her face, although her green eyes were laced with concern.

"Wha? What happened?" Eshe murmured, a tinge of panic welling inside her, she pushed herself up a little and cringed at a sharp pain in her arm.

"You were in a car accident because you passed out at the wheel", Leela explained slowly, "you're on an IV, ugh, I'll call the nurse."

"Passed out? What…" Eshe repeated, blinking the confusion out of her mind before a panicked look appeared on her face, "Holy shit, how long have I been here? Why did I pass out? Where's Atem?"

Leela rolled her eyes slightly as she hit the 'assistance' button on the side of the bed, "Calm down, you've been in an accident and should be resting. You're damn lucky, you know that? Your injuries are only minor, fortunately you weren't moving too fast when you crashed."

Horror grew on Eshe's face, "D-did I hurt anyone?"

"No", Leela asserted quickly, "You hit a street lamp, no one else was involved. The nurse said you only got away with some bruising and a few abrasions… but your car is kinda fucked", she spoke.

Eshe sunk back into her pillow, relieved that she hadn't caused anyone any harm in her stupid decision to drive in such a state, "I'm such a fucking idiot…" she sniffed and Leela nodded her head.

"Yes, you are. The nurse is probably going to want to ask you some questions, and now that I know you're okay, I should probably be heading back to work…" Leela trailed off, looking away from Eshe, failing to seem inconspicuous at all. She clearly had another reason for wanting to get away so soon after Eshe had woken up.

"You don't seem all that concerned about me", Eshe stated, a small pout on her face. Surely, being in a car accident and waking up in hospital in a flurry of confusion demanded a little more sympathy than Leela was showing?

"Hah. You should have seen me when I was called out of work. They told me you were in a car crash and I burst into tears", Leela explained, a sarcastic smile on her face, "then they told me you were pretty much totally fine, just a few scrapes and bruises, and that you were sleeping it off. I had to come and see you though. Sorry I need to dash so quick… um, work was- busy, and-"

"What's the real reason you want to escape this room so hastily?" Eshe grumbled, seeing straight through the girl's terrible lie.

Leela sighed, "Well, I called your workplace to inform your co-worker of your little situation. Atem was there, so I spoke to him. Told him to come visit you. Apologised to him as well- I just don't wanna deal with being in the same room as him, okay?"

Eshe grew happy at the news that Atem was on his way and that Leela had very helpfully informed him of her location and expressed remorse over her prior behaviour; but she sent Leela a pointed look as the girl admitted she still wasn't up for being friendly with the boy.

"Now, get some more rest. I think they're gonna keep you here over night, just to monitor you or whatever… also, I should probably tell you that I'm working night shifts next week - some stupid mishap with the schedule, but I'll be working till late, so I'm gonna stay overnight at my friend's house who lives closer to the diner for the few days that's happening", Leela spoke, a hint of regret in her voice at the fact she won't be around in the evenings.

"Oh, okay", Eshe murmured, a frown forming on her face, "so I'm gonna be alone next week?"

"Only during the night, and only for three days. I'm sorry, I just don't wanna walk home after midnight all alone…"

Eshe suddenly remembered exactly what had fueled her fear that morning, the feeling of certainty that she was being watched yet again, and she shuddered visibly, shaking her head, "Oh, don't worry about it. You stay at your friend's… I don't want you to walk home that late alone either."

Leela nodded, a small smile on her face, and she pushed her chair back to stand, "Alright, I'm gonna head back to work. I'll come straight back after my shift, I promise. You have fun with Atem", she added jokingly, and Eshe snorted softly.

"See you later…" Eshe spoke as Leela left the room with one last glance.

Well, this was certainly a predicament.

Eshe glanced down at the drip that was feeding into the vein of her arm and sighed softly, wondering if she was finally going to be forced to confront a doctor over how she had been feeling the past month or so.

* * *

When Atem appeared at the door of Eshe's room roughly half an hour after Leela left, she could see the apprehension drain from his face to make way for relief. "Oh", he breathed, a smile replacing his alleviated worries, "you're alright."

Eshe looked mildly sheepish, a small apologetic smile on her face as he stepped into the room with Joey and Yugi in tow, she gave them a weak wave as Atem reached her bedside.

"Are you okay?" Atem inquired softly, brushing his thumb affectionately over her cheek; the motion caused Eshe to smile and lean into the gentle touch.

"You had us worried sick!" Joey exclaimed, leaning against the railing at the end of her bed, a faux look of scorn which cracked into a smile as Eshe chuckled slightly.

"I'm sorry if I scared you guys…", Eshe looked up at Atem's always-so-handsome face, "I'm sorry… I only woke up after Leela called you."

"What happened, Eshe?" Yugi asked softly, his wide inquisitive eyes passing briefly between her and Atem.

Eshe sighed softly, "I, ah, fainted while driving, and I hit a street lamp. No one was hurt, luckily. I spoke to the nurse; she said I was dehydrated and had low sodium levels in my body, but also she thinks stress was a factor… a whole mix of problems, really."

Atem frowned, a serious look on his face as his eyes scanned Eshe's various minor injuries; she had a cut on her face just above her right eyebrow, a graze on her chin and he could see purplish bruising crawling out from below the collar of her hospital gown.

Eshe's eyes followed his, "That's bruising from my seat belt, it's fine, it doesn't hurt that much", she reassured, "and I'm feeling so much better than I was this morning."

"Why did you have low sodium?" Joey murmured curiously, "want me to go get you some salty potato chips? They're packed full of sodium!" he grinned and Eshe laughed, biting her lip slightly.

"That'd be awesome, thanks Joey", she spoke, "and uhh, well, that's my fault. I haven't been eating good, but the nurse gave me a stern talking to, so that'll change now. _And_ I've got this IV here feeding me yummy electrolytes to help me feel better."

"One pack of extra salty chips coming right up!" Joey exclaimed, disappearing from the room in a flash.

Yugi straightened up slightly, looking briefly between Atem and Eshe with a spark of amusement in his eyes, "Hey, I think Joey was headed in the opposite direction to the cafeteria… I better go make sure he doesn't get lost!" Yugi winked at Atem, and Eshe most definitely saw it, a slight flush growing on her cheeks as the younger boy followed the blond out of the room.

Now, Eshe was alone with Atem.

Atem's hand rested firmly on her shoulder as he stood over her, refusing to sit down and relinquish contact; instead, he looked over her again, his eyes settling questioningly on the IV in her arm.

"What is this?" he asked curiously and Eshe snorted with laughter.

"You're not honestly telling me you don't know what an IV is?"

Atem's face turned a brilliant red and he began to stammer slightly as he rushed to explain his ridiculous question, "No- I, I mean-", his eyes followed the tube leading out of her arm and he pointed at the solution bag hanging from the IV holder, "what's _that_?"

Eshe humoured him, "They're fluids that are helping to rehydrate me. I'm surprised you don't know this…"

Atem shook his head, a bashful smile on his face, "Well I- I've never had to have one", he answered and Eshe giggled, smiling fondly up at the strange boy she found so endearing.

Eshe blinked tiredly as the tanned boy ran an affable hand through her hair comfortingly and his fingertips very lightly traced the band-aid that was covering the scape above her eyebrow; she smiled with a hint of mischievousness and murmured, "Maybe you should kiss it better", with a playful lilt to her voice.

Atem smirked slightly, leaning down to brush a kiss lightly over her forehead; his eyes locked with her's and her gaze flickered subtly to his lips, asking a silent question. She wanted him to kiss her again, and he could only happily oblige.

As he leaned forward, however, the door to the room shifted and Atem quickly straightened up, both he and Eshe blushing slightly as a nurse walked in with her eyes on a clipboard.

"Okay, Amelie, I'm going to need to- oh", the nurse blinked her wide grey eyes at Atem, before turning back to Eshe, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you had a visitor."

Eshe cleared her throat, "It's fine, but _please_ don't call me Amelie."

The nurse frowned, blinking down at the clipboard in her hand with perplexity, "But, it's your name?"

"No, not for a long time. Just call me Eshe, please", the girl in the hospital bed responded, shifting uncomfortably at the nurse's interruption.

Atem looked at Eshe, a little startled, and his eyes shone with inquisitiveness over the confusion that was no doubt arising in his mind; Eshe gave him a brief apologetic smile before the nurse spoke again.

"Okay, well, I can give you ten minutes, but then you'll need to leave the room while I ask Eshe some questions", the nurse regarded Atem with an analytical look, "are you her brother?"

Atem seemed mildly flustered, "What? No, I'm her hu-" his mouth snapped shut, "I'm her boyfriend!" He reiterated, and Eshe gave him a flushed smile at his exclamation.

"Ohh, my bad! Okay, well I'll be back in ten minutes, okay?" the nurse squeaked, giggling at her error; she left the room and closed the door quietly, and Atem looked shyly back at Eshe to see her grinning at him.

"What?" Atem asked softly, a coy smile on his face.

"My boyfriend", Eshe repeated, nibbling on her bottom lip despite her wide smile, and Atem looked away from her to hide his blossoming cheeks.

"Well, I am, aren't I?" he sounded unsure all of a sudden and Eshe reached out to grab his hand, demanding his attention.

" _Yes_ , now kiss me again before Yugi and Joey get back!"

Atem didn't hesitate for another moment, moving quickly to cup Eshe's cheek and tilt her head up as he brought his lips to her's with earnest devotion; Eshe smiled into the kiss, breathing a light, dreamy sigh from her nose at the soft, tender contact. Instead of pulling away, Atem nuzzled against the side of her head, breathing softly against her neck, and Eshe inhaled his pleasant scent, a slight hint of cinnamon added to his natural aroma. Was he wearing some of of spicy cologne?

"Why did the nurse call you Amelie?" Atem inquired idly against her neck, pulling back for Eshe to answer.

With a slight shake of her head, Eshe spoke, "It's my birth name, but I've gone by Eshe since I was five years old."

A hint of something lit up behind Atem's eyes as his gaze widened slightly, "Why's that?" he inquired with overt interest, and Eshe raised an eyebrow.

"Um, I don't know, I just remember waking up one morning and demanded everyone call me Eshe. My aunt and uncle didn't go along with it at first, I just refused to answer to my birth name until they grew tired of it and decided to humour me. I've gone by Eshe ever since", she paused, looking up to the ceiling in contemplation, "It was weird… even now, I just feel like Amelie was the wrong name, like it wasn't mine. 'Eshe' just feels so right to me. I can't explain it", she ended with a smile, looking to Atem to find his expression of undisguised emotion, a mix of excitement and pure surprise.

"What?" Eshe blinked rapidly for a moment, wondering what she had said to invoke such a reaction, and Atem gave a shaky breath, buzzing laughter leaving his mouth as he fought to retain his composure again.

"N-nothing, I just… nothing", he repeated, a wide smile instilled on his face.

Eshe smiled along with him, his expression of unrestrained mirth was infectious, and she wondered what it was about Atem that made it so hard to determine the reasons behind his unexplained emotive reactions.

* * *

Passing out at the wheel of a car from stress was serious enough to result in being written off work for several weeks; which meant Eshe had plenty of spare time in her immediate future to do whatever she wanted to do, _so long_ as it was advantageous to her recovery. After speaking with a doctor about her troubling nightmares disturbing her sleep patterns, she was prescribed some moderate-strength sleeping pills to aid her nightly slumbers; she was instructed to take them only when she was having a hard time getting to sleep, they were not meant as a daily medication.

The nurse had practically scolded Eshe over her salad-based diet and explained that cutting salty and sugary foods completely out of an eating regime could actually do far more harm than good, and as such, Eshe's first order of business was to join her friends for pizza without worrying about what she was ingesting.

Unabashedly, Eshe devoured an entire large pizza all by herself, impressing both Joey and Tristan with just how much she could eat when she put her mind to it.

On top of getting plenty of rest, Eshe was told that occasional walks in the sunshine could be beneficial in providing light exercise and clean air instead of being cooped up in her stuffy apartment all day long. Atem was quick to volunteer to spend time with her, to the amusement of the others, and so, for the next few days the tanned boy met up with her at her apartment and proceeded to take the bus with her to the park, where they walked together and enjoyed the summer heat in each other's company.

It was wonderful, like they were going out on a date every single day, and it was doing wonders for Eshe's disposition; she felt great, like everything could only go up from that point onwards - she was on an endless roller coaster riding its way to the stars.

"Let's get dinner", Atem spoke on their Wednesday walk; they strode with their arms around each other through the grassy field of the park that had been the location of their first date.

"Dinner?" Eshe perked up, smiling as brightly as the sun.

"Yes- at an expensive restaurant. I'm paying", he took her wrist gently, leading her towards the park exit and to the boulevard along the pier which was popular for its vast array of five-star eating establishments.

"Hey, if it's expensive then we're splitting the bill", Eshe argued, though her face was alight with a grin.

"Nope", Atem stated playfully, "I'm paying", he repeated, "and we're gonna have dessert too."

Eshe let out a bubbly laugh, shaking her head at the boy's insistence; "Fine, but next time we're out at a restaurant, _I'm_ paying the bill", she declared, pretending not to see the way Atem shook his head unrelentingly.

They sat quietly in the sweet ambience of the restaurant they chose, Eshe pushed down her giggles as Atem encouraged her to order the most expensive thing on the menu, claiming he wanted to treat her to only the most _exquisite_ cuisine available. They spent the whole evening talking, giving each other light, innocent hand touches, quenching their mutual desire for closeness and connection.

It was perfect, as it always was with Atem.

After their meal, they walked calmly along the pier, hands intertwined as they reached the dock where a small fairground was situated. The sun was setting, the sky was dark blue and clear of looming clouds; the colourful lights and vivacious music playing over loud speakers was the perfect setting for fun and romance.

Eshe felt whimsical and spirited, her impish nature pushing forth as she began to bounce and sway to the music, she stopped at the end of the dock, the ocean playing a wonderful background to their idealistic setting, and turned to face Atem, a flirtatious grin on her face.

"Dance with me", she told him, taking both his hands and moving her feet in time with the fast-paced music. Atem laughed, shaking his head.

"I- I can't dance", he contended, his eyes lowering to watch Eshe's rhythmic movements on her lively feet, admiring what showed of her legs below her knee-length skirt.

"Don't give me that! Dance anyway!" Eshe insisted, spinning around and tugging Atem's hands to try and encourage him to boogie.

"I can't compare to your perfect rhythm", Atem laughed, letting himself be swayed, moving from foot to foot in a very mild attempt to mimic Eshe's movements.

"I hope that wasn't sarcasm!" Eshe spoke over the music, "I've always been a great dancer!"

"I know", Atem stated, a far-off look in his eyes.

"What?" Eshe asked through her glee, and Atem blinked, his mouth falling open.

"I mean, I can tell- you're a good dancer", he reiterated, biting his lip coyly, and Eshe tugged his wrists again.

"Come on, dance with me properly!" she pleaded, and Atem looked somewhat kittenish for a moment, before glancing around at the other people on the dock. They weren't paying any attention to the two of them.

"I know how to dance a little different", Atem revealed, and Eshe rose an eyebrow.

"Oh? Show me?"

Atem licked his lips, stepping forward to rest his hand on Eshe's waist, guiding one of her hands to lay on his shoulder while he took her other hand gently in his own; he pulled her towards him, their bodies pressing together, and Eshe's face grew red.

"Slow dance?" she whispered, a hint of excitement in her eyes, and Atem nodded in confirmation, a small smirk on his face.

The dance didn't fit the fast, upbeat music, but Eshe didn't care, she was happy to lean against the boy with the delightful contact as they stared into each other's eyes.

Atem leaned in slightly and Eshe pushed up to meet him in a kiss, it was gentle and enamoring, only a quick peck but still enough to make her knees weak. Immediately following the kiss, Atem stepped back and twirled her around before bringing her against him again and Eshe gave a soft giggle, something teasing growing inside her.

"Nice moves, pharaoh", Eshe spoke softly into his ear, and Atem pulled back, his smile dropping to be replaced with a wide-eyed look, his mouth hanging open in… shock?

"What?" Eshe asked immediately, wondering if she'd said something wrong.

Atem blinked rapidly, "You called me… you just called me-"

"Pharaoh?" Eshe repeated, "Yeah it was… well, the others said it was your nickname… Seto called you it in your duel", she looked pointedly at him, confused by his expression of awe.

Immediately, the growing shine in his eyes settled and he seemed disappointed, before he quickly strived to hide his put-down expression; he circled Eshe in his arms and pulled her closer, stilling his dancing and instead just holding her in an embrace.

"Did I say something wrong?" Eshe asked against his neck, snaking her arms around him in response, her tone drowned in worry.

"No", Atem said quickly, "It's fine, I'm fine", he put as much sincerity into his voice as he could, and yet Eshe was sure she picked up on a sad undertone.

Relaxing into his grip, she sighed softly against him and marveled at the feeling of Atem's firm arms around her; no matter what, he always succeeded in making her feel safe just by holding her.

In Atem's arms, she felt protected and secure, which sparked a thought over something she had not yet discussed with him.

"Atem", she spoke, pulling back slightly to look up at him with a genuine expression, "Something happened the other day that I wanted to talk to you about."

Atem's lips parted curiously, his expression sober and serious, "What happened?"

"Last Thursday after work my car didn't start, so I figured I'd walk home, and-" she took a breath, "there was someone following me."

There was a split second in which Atem absorbed the words Eshe had told him, before his pupils contracted and a look of alarm overtook him; his hands curled around her upper arms tightly, " _What happened?_ " he asked again, hoping for details.

Eshe felt apprehensive at his reaction, "I- I ran, and- it was weird, I can't explain, but I got away because- Seto Kaiba saw me and gave me a lift home…"

Atem's eyes flickered between her's and his expression softened, nodding slightly in response, pleased that his Duel Monsters rival had offered her aid and potentially saved her from a dangerous situation.

"Why didn't you just call me?" Atem asked, and Eshe frowned slightly.

"I didn't want to make you feel like you had to come and pick me up from work and then walk me home… that's a lot of walking, and it was late, and- _and_ there was some creep out there!" Eshe told him defensively; she did not regret her decision, she had never wanted to endanger the tanned boy.

Atem shook his head and pulled her against him again, his strong arms enclosing around her firmly, "Eshe… if something had happened to you…" he trailed off, gritting his teeth, "If you ever need me, call me and I will come to you. No matter the reason, no matter the time of day, if you need me, I _will_ come, I promise you."

Eshe swallowed back the emotion welling up inside her, sniffing slightly against Atem's shoulder.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Eshe", Atem whispered, "Because I lo-"

Eshe blinked through the tears in her eyes, looking up at the boy who had cut himself off so suddenly; she waited for him to continue what he was about to say, but he had clamped his mouth tightly and was fighting the flushed tinge to his cheeks.

"I'm here for you when you need me", he finished, and Eshe felt moved by the sincerity in his firm, unwavering voice.

Relaxing once more against him, Eshe blinked her tears away, wondering what she had done in her life to deserve to be enclosed in the arms of such an incredible, wonderful person; she had never felt so _right_ in her whole life than she did right now.

Little did Eshe know, this was the calm before the storm, and her metaphorical rollercoaster was about to topple over its peak.

* * *

 **Notes: I was absolutely in awe at the response to last chapter, so here's another long one! I hope you enjoy this, my dears, this story is quickly approaching an interest series of events ;) PLEASE review my lovelies! I read each review I got last chapter and I loved them ALL! They make me so happy!**


	22. Heroes Aren't Meant To Survive

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-One: And, You Know, Heroes Aren't Meant To Survive

Footsteps echoed loudly in the dark, damp warehouse; a lone, cloaked figure paced lazily back and forth, swaying slightly, as if moving to soft, unheard music. They raised a hand, twirling slender digits as black, fleeting wisps danced and shivered around them; an insidious chuckle let their lips and the mysterious being snapped their fingers. The wispy magical anomalies erupted into purple flames, producing a consistent crackling noise; the figure closed the palm of their hand and the fire extinguished.

Boredom was nothing new to the veiled individual; they were rather competent when it came to _waiting._ But as time began to close in, and long-anticipated machinations grew near, it was hard to contain the raw excitement that brewed within them.

Soon, they would put their developed plan in motion.

 _Soon_ , they would possess the power they had been after for several thousand years.

"Tonight, I will have the Millennium Puzzle, and then _nobody_ will be able to stop me…"

The being exuded a manic laugh, clapping their hands together hard; they were enveloped in cloud of darkness, and then they were gone.

* * *

Eshe stared up at her ceiling, her ears straining to hear anything but the muffled sounds of car tyres on tarmac. It was disconcerting, being unable to fall asleep to the quiet noise of Leela's music playing in her bedroom, as she often did.

Rolling over, she checked the time on her digital clock; it was approaching half past ten in the evening, and Eshe felt regrettably wide awake with the knowledge that she was alone in the apartment.

Leela had been working night shifts for the past two days, and Friday night would be her third; the girl left their home at half four in the afternoon and would stay the night at her friend's house following her work shift, before returning home at around eleven in the morning.

Eshe was left unexpectedly lonely during the night, she _thought_ that she'd be able to endure several hours away from her best friend but apparently she was having a bout of clinginess that left her somewhat ashamed.

Being alone in their apartment the whole night wouldn't have been so terrible if it wasn't for the foreboding atmosphere that had befallen the home; Eshe couldn't explain the discomfiting feeling that had settled in her stomach since Leela had walked out the door that afternoon.

In her uneasiness, Eshe had thought about texting Atem, but the debasing thoughts of feeling dependant on him helped her refrain; she didn't want to worry him over something as trivial as _feeling a little off_ and she didn't want to make it seem like a little darkness and solitude was something she couldn't handle. She was stronger than that.

Eshe sat up slightly, reaching for the little white pill bottle resting on her bedside table; she swallowed one tablet with a sip of water and resumed lying with her head against her pillow, hoping her sleeping medication would take effect quickly.

After roughly half an hour, Eshe's eyelids slipped closed and she fell fortuitously into a heavy slumber.

* * *

 _Queen Eshe felt as though she had been riding her horse for days in a perpetual search for Pharaoh Atem, the one she held most dear in the world, and it was quickly beginning to feel like she'd never find him. Her horse, Meri, rode arduously at her command, breathing hard under the brisk pace as he galloped endlessly over the uneven, sandy terrain; Eshe would have to slow down soon if she didn't want the animal to collapse from exhaustion._

 _She knew that pushing Meri so hard was selfish, but she was desperate, and right now it felt so easy to disregard others for the sake of the boy she loved; she would punish herself later for her carelessness over the safety of her horse, when she knew Atem was alright._

 _A flapping of wings beside her brought her attention skyward and she squinted into the darkness of the night to find her pet crow, Sabiya, flying dutifully along with her._

" _Sabiya, have you found him!?" Eshe called, and the bird beat her wings a few times firmly before swerving off eastward. Pulling on Meri's mane, the queen directed her horse to follow the crow at the same insistent pace._

" _Not long, Meri, keep going… keep going!" the queen encouraged, her muscles hurt from straining to stay centered on her horse at such a breakneck pace, but she couldn't imagine how pained Meri must have felt - and yet, he pushed himself to please her._

 _A swift breeze travelled through Eshe's unruly hair as she continued to follow the speedy bird across the land; the stars and moon above, illuminating the earth they trampled over, revealed a telling procession of hoofprints that had not yet been smothered by new sands carried on the wind._

 _They had to be close, this was the first hint she'd found that the Pharaoh and his soldiers had been anywhere nearby._

 _Swallowing the dreaded apprehension that had risen in her throat, Eshe recalled the huge, evil beast she had seen that had threatened the kingdom diabolically; it had looked so massive, and yet it had been so far out into the desert when she had seen it from the balcony of the royal quarters. That meant its size had been far greater than Eshe had initially comprehended._

 _But it was_ _ **gone**_ _. The Pharaoh and his soldiers must have defeated the beast, right?_

" _Whoa, Meri", Eshe called as she tugged back on the mane of her horse once more, telling him to slow down; the queen had spotted something on the ground in the distance and it ignited a newfound trepidation within her._

 _Meri came to a stop and Eshe let him, giving the side of his neck a gentle pat before she slipped off his back, stumbling as she dropped heavily to her feet; the queen gave a shuddering breath, just as laboured as the horse's beside her._

 _Eshe looked across the barren land, dim and quiet, nothing but the whistle of the wind to fill the void of silence; a few steps towards the darkened shape on the ground brought forth a grim discovery. She realised, with a start, that it was a body._

" _No", she whispered, her hand covering her mouth in shock; she moved across the sand, reluctant and gracelessly as she stepped close enough to make out the colours and shape of the body._

 _It wasn't Atem, Eshe exhaled in relief before remorse picked at her mind; the sight of any dead body should not alleviate her fear, but the knowledge that it wasn't her husband brought her a brief comfort._

 _He was still out there somewhere, there was still a chance he was alive._

 _She just had to find him._

 _Eshe drew her gaze away from the corpse of the brave soldier, the aura of death permeating all of her senses left her shaken, and she raised her head to the stars, searching for her crow._

" _Sabiya?" she called gently, and movement out of the corner of her eye stole her attention. The crow swooped low across the sands, coming into view, the blue-ish tint of moonlight reflected off of her black feathers as she landed on Eshe's arm._

 _The queen glanced up in the direction Sabiya had flown from, her eyes straining to see far with nothing but the soft lunar light from above, but Eshe made out more shapes scattered across the ground, both humans and horses._

 _She didn't want to press forward, afraid of what she would find, but if there was even the slightest possibility that Atem was still alive, she had_ _to find him. She_ _ **had**_ _to._

 _With cautious, diffident steps, Eshe pressed on through the sea of bodies, moving carefully between them, straining to listen for any sounds or signs of life. She halted suddenly when she caught sight of a particularly bloodied corpse that was missing an arm, Sabiya ruffled, trying to retain her balance as Eshe stepped back, arm flailing slightly in horror at the sight._

 _The soldier had a permanent look of terror etched on his face and it seemed like even in death he could find no peace. The queen shook her head to try and shake the images, striving to avoid looking at the more gruesome remains littered around her._

 _The battle had been fierce and unrelenting, but the absence of the great beast could only mean that Atem had succeeded in overcoming it._

 _And yet, he was nowhere to be found._

 _Eshe took a deep breath, pushing back the tears that welled up in her eyes; he had to be here somewhere, lying among the deceased bodies, alone and potentially hurt. This was no time to cry and shake in fear. She had to find him._

 _With renewed vigour powered by the desperation to find her husband alive and well, Eshe treaded on, eyes peeled and scanning the dead with purpose, hoping to pick out a glint of gold among the puddles of red._

 _Sabiya raised her wings and pushed off of Eshe's arm, resuming her search from the skies; the queen shivered and hugged herself, rubbing her arms in an attempt to bring warmth back to her body as she tried not to think about her stupid decision to leave the palace without a heftier robe or cloak to shield her from the desert's chill. She had acted impulsively with only one goal in mind, to be with the boy she loved, no matter what it took._

 _The noise of Sabiya cawing suddenly made her jerk and she darted around to the direction it came from, the sound left the queen startled after being greeted with menacing silence for so long; Eshe stilled as her eyes landed on a body covered partially with a dark fabric._

 _Sabiya flapped frantically above the body, wings beating heavily to draw her attention, and Eshe swallowed, her eyes setting pointedly on the motionless mass bundled below a dark purple cape; the queen caught sight of the familiar starburst of wild hair, there was no mistaking it was Atem._

 _Eshe's legs were frozen in place as she struggled to take another shuddering inhale, she felt as though there was something stuck in her throat obstructing her airways and making it impossible to breathe._

 _He wasn't moving, the tail of his cape crinkled lightly in the wind, he was lying on his side facing away from her and she couldn't see his face; though the fact that he hadn't shown any indication that he had heard Sabiya cawing was a very bad sign._

" _Atem", Eshe whispered, her quiet voice almost inaudible to her own ears, and finally she found the courage to step forwards and move towards him. Sabiya settled down as she noticed the queen had spotted what she had found, and the crow landed near the body, looking over him curiously with a tilt of her little head._

 _As the queen approached, she looked over the Pharaoh; his body was slightly curled in on itself, his legs overlapping while the rest of his body was covered precariously with his partly shredded cape, tucked under himself in a vain attempt to keep warm in the cool desert air._

 _Eshe reached the boy, standing over him and inadvertently blocking out the moonlight from above; his eyes were closed and his lips were slightly parted, his expression looked placid and one of his hands rested with non-existent grip upon the Millennium Puzzle, which was sitting close to his head._

 _She dropped to her knees beside him as her eyes scanned his over his body; his legs were marred with scrapes and cuts, and his left foot was bare, missing a sandal. His usually pristine, white kilt was tarnished with dirt and the tears in his cape were surrounded with darkened stains. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that could possibly be._

 _Eshe's hands hovered above the still body, scared to touch him, afraid to find out something she was dreading; she reached out, and with the gentlest of touches, she pulled back his cape, peeling it slowly away from his body._

 _The queen's hand rose to cover her mouth as her eyes widened, the sickly feeling of bile bubbling in the back of her throat grew stronger at the sight of Atem's tunic stained red around the abdomen and his hand thrown flimsily over the wound to try and impede the bleeding._

 _Choking back tears, Eshe let out a whimper of grief, her shaking fingers reaching out to curl around Atem's arm and her other hand around his shoulders. His skin was cool to the touch as she gently rolled him onto his back and propped him up slightly with support from her arm; his head lulled back, and that was when the queen noticed the slow rise and fall of his chest, indicating he was still alive._

" _Atem", Eshe gasped, her hand moving to apply pressure to the wound on his stomach. He was still alive, and she would do everything she could to keep it that way._

 _She shook him slightly, calling his name again, this time louder and more firmly; hope swelled within her as his long eyelashes fluttered slightly, followed by the knitting of his brow. Eshe repeated his name, a pleading lilt to her voice, and a pained gasp left his lips; his eyes twitched, and then slowly opened._

 _His deep purple eyes were dulled and glazed as they opened halfway, filled with confusion; his light, wheezing breaths sounded distressed, and he stared up Eshe uncomprehendingly. His pupils darted back and forth for a moment between the queen's eyes before they focused on her face and widened._

 _Atem's breathing sped up, audible and alarmed rasps leaving his mouth as he looked at her; he shifted in her arms and his face scrunched up in pain._

" _Shh, shh, don't move", Eshe whispered, "Shh, it's okay, I'm here", her words were meant for comfort, but the fearful waver in her voice sounded far from soothing; Atem's breathing calmed slightly and he ceased moving, limp in Eshe's arms._

 _He stared at her, listless and reticent, his eyes full of anguish, and his lips moved as he tried to speak, "E… Esh-", he cut himself off with a sharp breath, fighting the urge to cough._

" _Shh", Eshe reiterated, "Don't speak, it's okay. Priest Seto should… be here soon", her words were entirely unconfident, and she looked up briefly in the direction of the kingdom, unable to see too far ahead under the darkness of the night._

" _W-we'll get you back to the palace and… the healers can treat your wounds, and-"_

" _Eshe."_

" _ **Don't speak,**_ _you need to save your strength", the queen ordered, and Atem raised his hand, enclosing it tremblingly over the hand Eshe had pressed against his injury._

" _Listen… to m-me", Atem groaned, forcing the words out despite himself, "the things I said… back at the p-palace… I didn't mean any of it."_

 _He was referring to the fight they had had just before he'd left to face The Dark One; Eshe had tried to stop him and Atem had said some hurtful things._

" _I know, Atem", Eshe whispered, tears streaming down her face before she could even try to blink them back._

" _I'm sorry", the Pharaoh cried softly, his chest shook as he struggled to keep his breathing under control, his eyes growing wet in response to Eshe's sorrow._

" _I'm sorry too", Eshe spoke through her sobs, "I love you… I love you."_

 _Atem's hand tightened over her's, "And I love you", he breathed, blinking through the tears pooling in his eyes, "I… I'm glad I got to… tell you that… one last time."_

" _Atem, you're not- I'm not going to let you die. You're not going to die,_ _ **don't talk like that**_ " _, Eshe sputtered, glancing searchingly back up past her horse, hoping to find a cavalry heading towards them. No such luck, they were alone in the desert._

 _Eshe looked to Sabiya, who had remained loyally beside them the whole time, "Sabiya, go back and find Priest Seto. Lead him here, please, be quick", she spoke, and the crow cawed, hesitating for only a moment, before beating her wings to hastily lift off._

 _Returning her attention to the Pharaoh, Eshe panicked momentarily at the sight of his closed eyes, she shook him again, "Atem, stay awake!"_

 _He blinked his eyes open again, fighting the tiredness, "I'm.. awake", he whispered._

 _Propping him up a little more in her arms, Eshe took Atem's hand and pressed it insistently to the laceration on his stomach that continued to bleed, "Hold your hand here", she told him assertively, sniffling as she brushed her tears away quickly. Atem grunted, but did as she said, and Eshe used her free hand to support his head, cupping his face gently._

 _She couldn't let him fall asleep again, because he probably wouldn't wake up._

" _Atem, tell me what happened. What happened to that beast?"_

 _The Pharaoh blinked a few times before a look of awareness sparked in his clouded eyes; he winced as he moved his head, turning until his gaze settled on the Millennium Puzzle resting nearby, still attached with the cord around his neck. His stare lingered on the pendant until Eshe caressed his cheek with her thumb, bringing his attention back to her, and his expression was weary and remorseful._

" _Trapped… I've trapped him", Atem spoke softly, a hint of sadness to his tone, "He won't come back… as long as I…"_

 _He trailed off. "As long as you what?" Eshe prompted, swallowing the phantom lump in her throat._

 _Atem's face scrunched up in grief as he gave a few short anguished breaths, blinking the glossiness out of his eyes, "Eshe, I… I have to…"_

 _He couldn't get the words out, and the tears gathering in his eyes finally fell down his ashen cheeks; Eshe let her hand trail up the side of his head to brush through his hair - something she often did subconsciously when they were pressed together in embrace late at night - and became alarmed when her fingers came away sticky and red with blood._

" _What?" Atem murmured, eyebrows knitting at the startled look on the queen's face._

" _Nothing", Eshe whispered, lips quivering as she returned her hand to cradle his head, "What were you going to say, Atem? What do you have to do?" she pushed softly._

 _Atem looked up at her, his bleak eyes dented with heartache, "I have to… sacrifice myself."_

 _Eshe shook her head immediately, "No."_

" _I'm sorry…"_

" _ **No**_ _."_

" _Eshe… you must…"_

" _Atem, you can't die", Eshe forced out through gritted teeth, "You can't… leave me."_

 _With vision blurred through watery eyes, Eshe lowered her face, pressing a mournful kiss to his forehead, "Please don't leave me…"_

" _There's... no other way", Atem sobbed, wincing with each sharp breath he took._

" _It's not fair", Eshe cried, jaw clenched, "this can't… this can't happen… please-"_

" _I need you to… listen to me. Tell Seto… the Puzzle must be shattered…" Atem spoke, it was clear from the way his breath caught several times that he was hurting, suffering from the wound in his abdomen._

" _-and… locked away… out of reach of… anyone."_

 _Eshe weeped, holding her dying husband tightly against her, the stream from her eyes was steady and constant, she felt as though it would never stop._

" _Eshe… my name, it... it must be erased", Atem gasped out, "my name is the key… to keeping him locked away. Tell Seto… tell him…"_

 _The Pharaoh's eyelids dropped and Eshe shook him frantically, "No, no- no", she cried, "Not yet, please-"_

 _With a shaky breath, Atem's eyes opened again, "Eshe, promise me… you'll tell him."_

 _To promise Atem that she would pass his message along to the High Priest would be to accept that Atem was going to die, as it meant he would not be able to tell Seto himself; Eshe blubbered incoherently, shaking her head firmly, but as she looked from the desolate land around them to Atem's dim eyes, she knew there was no way he could hold out long enough for the healers to reach him._

 _He was going to die, and she was powerless to prevent it._

" _I… I… I promise", Eshe gasped, "I promise." Something in his expression was alleviated, as though a weight had been lifted, and he dipped his head in a small nod._

" _...Thank you, Eshe…"_

" _Atem, don't go- not yet, please, don't go yet", Eshe babbled, holding him close, clutching him firmly, "-I love you, please don't go yet."_

" _I'll miss you", Atem whispered through dry lips, and Eshe's arms tightened around him._

" _Atem… wait for me in the afterlife", the queen murmured, an underlying plea in her quiet voice._

 _The fog in Atem's gaze sharpened, his eyes widening as his mouth quivered with something unspoken; the haunting look in his expression caused Eshe's stomach to drop, a newfound dread crawling over her in waves that left her queasy and lightheaded, and then the Pharaoh uttered several pained words._

" _I won't be going to the afterlife, Eshe…"_

 _For a moment, the words didn't entirely register, but then the gravity of what Atem had just said pierced through the terse haze of confusion and Eshe cupped his cheek, forcing him to meet her gaze as he tried so hard to avoid her acute scrutiny._

" _What are you saying?" Eshe bit out through grinding teeth, trying her best to remain comprehensible through the bubbling emotions; her throat ached from tensing the muscles in an effort to refrain from bawling._

" _In order to t-trap him… I have to-" he paused to breathe a few deep breaths, "lock my soul… in the Puzzle…" Fresh streaks of tears trickled down his face._

" _For how long?" Eshe's question came out as a choked squeak from the back of her throat, and Atem's resulting silence was transparent enough._

 _She would never see him again._

" _No…" Eshe couldn't hold back her distress any longer; with angry coughing sobs she wailed, loud and shameless. Atem's melancholy was far more graceful, crying quietly, though it was probably because he just didn't have the strength to weep aloud._

" _I'm sorry I… failed you", Atem coughed out._

" _No, you didn't,_ _ **you didn't**_ _**fail me**_ " _, Eshe babbled, "the world failed you. You are… the most selfless, kind, and brave human being... I have ever known."_

 _The Pharaoh had done everything right, for the kingdom he had led and for the world he had saved; every action he took was for the safety of others even if it meant putting himself in danger, and he deserved so much more than the fate that awaited him._

 _With shallow breaths, Atem whispered, "Eshe… the necklace…"_

 _The queen could tell her husband was slipping away when his eyes became unfocused and his blinking slowed drastically._

" _Don't… take it off…"_

 _He breathed his last sigh, and the moment the light faded from his eyes, Eshe knew he was gone, and she was alone._

* * *

Eshe woke up taking short, panicked breaths, her face sticky with partially dried salty trails running down her cheeks; the sudden return of consciousness brought back a new wave of emotions and a fresh flood of tears as she struggled to contain her despair.

Pushing her face into her pillow, Eshe let out a scream of anguish; that nightmare had been the most realistic and heartbreaking yet, her feelings and emotions spawned from the other dreams she had had felt miniscule to the torment that was attacking her heart at that moment.

Something was very wrong, every atom of her being told her that Atem was in danger and she had to get to him, she had to know he was okay.

She rolled sloppily out of bed, just about managing to avoid hitting her head on the bedside table as she stumbled lethargically on stupefied limbs, and caught sight of her alarm clock display. It was almost two o'clock in the morning, and yet, Eshe felt as though her dream had lasted so much longer. The realisation that the day was still so far away from sunlight caused a helpless whine to escape her between breaths; she needed something, anything to calm her.

Ordinarily on such a night, Eshe would knock on Leela's bedroom door and seek comfort from her roommate, but the girl was elsewhere at one of her friend's houses, most likely asleep at the current time - she had no way to make it back to the apartment at such an hour.

Her immediate thought was to call Atem; simply hearing his voice would surely be enough to set her mind at ease and bring her back from the brink of hyperventilation.

Reaching blindly for her phone, Eshe shook, her chest rose and fell rapidly with each dire inhale and exhale; she pressed the call button on Atem's name and raised the phone frailly to her ear.

The tone rang continuously several times before going to voicemail and Eshe let a frantic whimper escape her mouth before she called again.

The dial tone rang four times, and then a very tired murmur came through from the other end, " _Mm… hello? Eshe?_ "

Eshe held her breath at the sound of Atem's sleepy voice, deducing she'd woken him up and that he was perfectly fine, and a rush of relief fell on her mind.

Her prolonged silence must have worried him, because he suddenly sounded a lot more alert, " _Eshe? Are you alright?_ "

She realised the fact that she was calling in the middle of the night, and above all that she was _calling_ instead of texting must have seemed unsettling to Atem, and she quickly assured him through her shaky breaths, "I- I'm okay…"

The upset in her hoarse voice was clear, " _Eshe? What's going on? What's happened?_ "

Her valiant effort to keep her breathing calm shattered along with her resolve at Atem's concern and she immediately burst into a blabbering state of misery.

"I-I'm sorry for w-waking you up but I- I was- I saw- you were- I-", Eshe's delirious stammering quickly dissolved into intelligible nonsense with frequent sharp breaths.

" _Eshe!? Slow down, are you at home?_ " There was a shuffling noise on the other end of the phone and Eshe paused to sniffle.

"Y-yeah I'm at h-home- why?"

" _I'm on my way, I'll be there soon._ "

Eshe blanched, "N-no, don't- it's two in the morning and you don't h-have a car!"

" _Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just calm down, try to breathe slowly_ ", his words were firm and gave no room for argument, and from the sound of it, he was already running out the door of his house.

"Atem, _please_ ", Eshe begged, "You don't n-need to come over- just- please- it was just a dream, it's nothing-", after the events of the last week, Eshe was unwilling to leave the apartment alone in the middle of the day, let alone the middle of the night; if something were to happen to Atem now, it'd be her fault.

" _Obviously it isn't nothing if it's affecting you like this-_ " the volume of Atem's voice wavered and Eshe panicked at the presence of crackling down the speaker.

"Atem, I can't hear y-you, you're breaking up!" Eshe cried.

" _Don't worry, I'll be there- be calm, relax- drink some water-_ "

The call cut off abruptly and Eshe scanned the screen of her smartphone, noting the lack of signal icon in the corner, and let out a pitiful mewl. A feeling of feeble paralysis overtook her as her mind kicked into overdrive to imagine all the potential terrible things that could happen to Atem on his way to her apartment building, and it certainly did nothing to assist Eshe in keeping her breathing at a normal pace.

Alone in the darkness of her apartment, Eshe sat on her bedroom floor where she could only wait and worry for Atem's wellbeing; her head was pounding from pressure brought on by her dyspnea and she figured it would probably be wise to take Atem's advice.

Struggling to pull herself up, Eshe left her bedroom, flipping the switch to turn on the light in the living room. The bright lights hurt her sore eyes and she squinted, stumbling towards the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water that would both rehydrate her and slow her breathing to an acceptable speed.

Atem had told her to try and relax, but her usual go-to for alleviating stress after a nightmare was to draw something from her dream - but that was not an option. She didn't want anything that would remind her of the ordeal her nightmare had coerced her into. She wanted to forget it and never think of it again.

With her glass of water, she took small sips and padded towards the sofa where she sunk into the soft cushions and made herself comfortable to endure the agonising wait for her boyfriend to arrive.

She couldn't shake the feeling that her nightmare had instilled into her, that somehow it didn't just mean nothing; it filled her with an uneasiness unlike all the dreams before it, like a foreboding sense of things to come.

Eshe held the cool glass of water to her red cheeks, soothing the radiating warmth; she was sure she looked like a complete mess with her unkempt hair, drained appearance and ruffled pyjamas.

Her breathing had settled somewhat, still having the occasional hiccup to deal with but definitely a whole lot better than she was when she awoke; she stared down into her half-filled glass of water, focusing on the ripples that offered a lulling effect.

She didn't know how long she was peering down at her glass for, but she almost dropped it when there was a hasty, heavy knock at her apartment door; she placed her drink down on the coffee table and faltered, standing up slowly as her head spun with dizziness.

The knock sounded again, followed by a muffled, yet jittery call of her name, and Eshe pushed the faintness back, taking unsteady steps towards the front door; she pulled the door open just as Atem raised his hand to knock again, and upon seeing the boy's frenzied look of concern, she once again burst into tears and let him gather her up in his arms.

"Esh-!?"

Her legs gave way from exhaustion and Atem rushed to support her, he held her tightly against his chest and nudged the door closed with his foot.

"Eshe, shh, it's alright", Atem spoke softly, rubbing his hand soothingly over Eshe's back, "You're safe", he assured her.

Eshe regained her footing, but continued to lean against Atem, tucking her head below his chin to press her ear to his chest; she breathed a sigh at the sound of his heartbeat, still pulsing hard from his brisk arrival. The noise was mollifying; it reminded her that he was alive, unlike the Atem of her dream.

"I'm sorry", Eshe breathed out, pressing her teary face to his shoulder, dampening the fabric of his jacket that was slung haphazardly over his pyjamas. She noted somewhere in the back of her mind that he had taken the time to hang the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and secure his deck holder around his waist.

"You're okay", he whispered, "do you need to sit down?"

Eshe nodded against his shoulder and Atem helped her slowly over to the couch where she collapsed into his lap, cuddling against him like a lifeline. She felt better within moments, his familiar scent and gentle touch left her feeling serene and comfortable.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Atem asked quietly.

Eshe shook her head, she didn't want to talk about it. She wanted to bury it.

"Do you want to go back to bed? I'll stay with you-"

She shook her head wildly, she didn't trust herself to speak for fear that she'd begin to cry uncontrollably again; the thought of going back to bed and closing her eyes to be greeted with the horrible sight of Atem dead in her arms filled her with horror.

"Okay, it's alright. We could just-", Atem paused to look up around the room, his eyes settling on the television and game console sitting on the cabinet across from them, "We could play a game?"

Atem seemed well-rounded on the fact that video games were great distraction techniques, and that Eshe was very much in need of a distraction. After a moment, she nodded slowly.

They ended up playing Mario, with Eshe nestled up against Atem's side with his arm around her shoulders, the both of them curled up under a cozy blanket.

Eshe held the controller loosely in her hands as she blinked tiredly at the television screen displaying the beloved 2D platformer game she had played many times before and was often very proficient at, but given the state she was in, it was forgivable that her skills weren't so outstanding that night. Beside her, Atem watched her repeatedly fail at defeating a series of enemies, his eyelids drooping with weariness from the late hour; Eshe admired his insistence at staying awake and his ability to remain patient and not get fed up with her consistent 'Game Over's.

She wasn't so patient, and sighed after running out of lives for the tenth time; she held out the controller for the boy beside her and he blinked a few times and smiled slightly, taking it from her to apply his own talents to the challenge.

Eshe laid her head against his shoulder as she watched him press 'Continue' and Mario reappeared at the beginning of the level, as if he had never been scathed by the battle against the Goomba's beforehand. The mix of playing Mario and enduring frivolous nighttime trains of thought took her mind on a journey; thinking about how easy it would be if everyone got an instant do-over in life immediately after dying. It was such a thought that inspired the first words out of her mouth since they'd sat down to play the game.

"Do you believe in reincarnation?"

Atem stilled at Eshe's question, his negligent pause allowed an enemy in the game to get the better of him and he immediately lost a life; he paused the level and looked down at the girl cuddled up against him.

"Why do you ask?" his tone was genial and curious, but there was a strange look in his eyes as he spoke.

Eshe shrugged slightly, a yawn escaping her before she sighed quietly, "I dunno…"

Atem was muted for a moment before he turned back to his still-paused video game and responded, "Yes, I do."

Eshe perked up slightly at his answer, and he quickly added, "Do you?"

"I don't know", Eshe whispered, a slight smile on her sleepy face as she blinked slowly, "But sometimes, I feel like I've known you my whole life..."

A prolonged pause, and then Atem resumed the game; Eshe fell asleep to the jovial tune of the game level sounding tranquil and distant.

* * *

The brief fragment of consciousness allowed Eshe to remember the way Atem carried her effortlessly to her bed, where he placed her down carefully and covered her with the comforter then moved to sit wordlessly in her desk chair, before the beckoning call of sleep claimed her once more.

Eshe was unsure how much time had passed when she awoke a little later, barely on the cusp of wakefulness, she blinked her blurry eyes and saw the vague shape of Atem standing over her desk, his palms pressed against the table as he looked down with wide, disbelieving eyes at the contents of her workspace.

She frowned slightly, shifting a little, and Atem turned to her so suddenly at the movement; " _Eshe_!" he exclaimed, making her jump, and he quickly scooped up the source of his attention - her sketchbook, opened clearly at the page of the drawing depicting Atem as a young prince examining some scrolls.

"Wh-what are you… I didn't say you could look at those-", Eshe breathed, consternation filling her senses as alertness arose from her foggy mind. She was upset that he had snooped into her private sketchbook, but trepidation overtook her, worried that he was affronted by her messy drawing of her silly fantasy.

"Why did you draw this!?" he demanded, holding up the paper, and Eshe couldn't clarify the meaning behind his frantic tone. She predicted that he'd be weirded out that she had drawn him in such a way, but she didn't expect him to snap at her.

"I-I'm… sorry?" Eshe squeaked, holding the comforter up protectively around her as she shuffled away from him slightly.

" _Eshe_ ", Atem asserted, "please answer me, where did you _see_ this?"

"W-what are you talking about? I just- _drew_ it!" Eshe cried; his raised voice was only succeeding in upsetting her.

"But _why_!?" Atem's voice seemed blaring in the silence of the night, and Eshe was sure her neighbours would have words with her in the morning for all the racket.

"I- because, I- I had a dream about it, okay?" Eshe's lip quivered as she explained herself meekly under his scrutiny and watched as his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"What?"

Eshe gave a humiliating huff, covering her face in embarrassment as she admitted, "I have dreams about you sometimes- that's what those drawings are, they're all from my dreams."

Atem stared silently at her, mouth hanging open in shock, "You… have dreams… about me-?"

"Oh shut up", Eshe groaned, shaking her red face, "don't look at me like that! People can't control what they dream about… I'm _sorry_ okay?" Her face burned at the memory of the almost-erotic dream she had had about the boy just recently.

Atem turned away, placing the sketchbook back down on the desk the continue flipping through it, eyeing each image with the utmost focus. Eshe pouted indignantly as he continued to poke his nose into each page of her _private_ sketchbook and cleared her throat as Atem froze on the page depicting the drawing of Dalila.

He stared at it for a long moment, before stuttering out, "This… this is…-"

"It's Leela", Eshe finished, and then rolled her eyes slightly, "well, not exactly. Her name is Dalila… but she looks a lot like Leela", she murmured.

Atem's wide eyes stared hard at the page before he rose his gaze to the wall in front of him, gawking at apparently nothing as he was hit with some sort of epiphany, a startling realisation on his face that Eshe was none-the-wiser to.

"...Atem?"

The boy turned back and took two impressively long strides towards her to grab her upper arms; Eshe leaned back in surprise as Atem held her at arm's length and regarded her with a serious expression. He had been so sleepy before, but now he seemed so lively and awake.

"How long have you been having these dreams?" he urged her, and Eshe shrugged slightly, trying to appear nonchalant while on the inside she was whirring with dejection.

"Since… around the time I met you, I guess? I had nightmares when I was younger, but never like this…" Eshe sniffled slightly, looking down despondently, "I don't know why you're so mad…"

Atem shook his head suddenly, "I'm not- I'm not mad", he spoke, and then he unexpectedly pulled her tightly against him, holding her warm and secure in his arms, "I'm not mad", he whispered; in fact, he looked ecstatic.

Eshe's head hurt from his abrupt turnabout of emotions, so she simply leaned into his affection embrace, a new wave of exhaustion coming over her.

She sighed softly, "I'm tired…"

Atem pulled back, an apologetic smile on his face, and he nodded gently, "Alright- I'm sorry for snapping at you", he brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek tenderly and then shuffled off of the bed, moving back to her desk chair.

Eshe laid her head back down on the pillow, the pull of sleep weighing heavily on her mind, and she watched as Atem leaned back in the hard chair and tried to get comfortable; a tired, amused smile crossed her face. Desk chairs were not fantastic for sleeping in.

Pulling the comforter back slightly, Eshe shifted over to make more space on the bed and murmured, "Come here."

Atem blinked up at her, mildly confused, before he realised what she was suggesting; his face grew slightly flustered with that adorable pink glow on his cheeks and he hesitantly stood again, pausing to remove his deck holder and the Millennium Puzzle, placing them carefully on the desk, before he padded over and slipped into bed beside Eshe.

A flapping of wings sounded, catching their attention, and Eshe looked to her bedroom window to find a crow perched happily on her window sill, pecking gleefully at the bird feeder she had hung outside a few weeks prior; something about its presence eased her mind.

Eshe fell asleep with a smile on her face, relaxing in the comfort of Atem's warm arms; drifting peacefully into the veil of the blissfully unaware.

* * *

The delightful smell of cinnamon surrounded Eshe when she awoke the next morning, she sighed happily as she sunk against the warm body beside her, her ear pressed against Atem's chest to listen for the steady, relaxed pulse of his heart beating; he was still asleep and Eshe blinked up drowsily at his peaceful face.

A wide smile appeared on her face at the sight; his long eyelashes fluttered ever-so-slightly as her movement caused him to stir, but she caught the way his usually sternly angled brow was relaxed. The slight rosiness to his cheeks and his pouty lips were a wonderful sight; Eshe shifted and pressed herself more closely against him, burying her face into his shoulder and nuzzling against the soft material of his pyjamas.

He woke up soon after, his arm trailing up to sling around her as his pout transformed into a smile.

"Atem?" Eshe whispered softly, and he hummed in response, acknowledging her but still too slackened to speak.

"Thank you for coming over last night", the girl spoke gently, breathing against his neck, and he blinked his eyes open, turning his face to brush his lips against her forehead.

"Mm… I love you."

His words caused her heart rate to speed up, something he was sure to feel with her body pressed so closely to his, and she pushed herself up to stare at him in shock, "Wha-?"

Atem's face went red immediately as he realised what he'd let slip out, and he clamped his hand over his lips, blinking rapidly as Eshe regarded him with a wide-eyed look.

For the first time ever, an _awkward_ silence fell over them as Eshe thought abundantly about what he'd just said, whether or not he actually meant it or if he'd just mumbled it sleepily in the moment was a mystery.

"I… have to go get dressed", Eshe squeaked, quickly climbing over him to hop out of bed and gather up some clean clothes from her dresser; without looking at him, she left the room and headed for the bathroom to change.

Looking at herself in the mirror without cringing was quite the challenge that morning; her eyes were still red and dry from her little episode during the night, her cheeks felt stiff and felt gross with the dried tears that remained on her face. Chapped lips, messy hair, dark bags under her eyes; she didn't exactly look gorgeous.

So what exactly had prompted Atem to say those three alarming words? She could just about reach to understand if she'd woken up looking stunningly beautiful, that Atem might be dazed enough to murmur "I love you" without really meaning it, but she looked horrific.

She dressed quickly, washing her face and spraying on some deodorant to freshen up a bit - she'd probably shower once Atem left - before she stuffed her night clothes in the wash basket and padded out of the bathroom, hesitantly back to her bedroom where Atem still remained.

As she stepped into the room, however, she was greeted with Atem looking wildly around the room, apparently spinning in circles, his face disturbingly pale.

"What's wrong?" Eshe inquired, her gaze following his desperate searching for something.

"My Puzzle! It's gone!" Atem snapped hysterically.

Eshe blinked, her eyes travelling to the desk where she clearly recalled he had placed it before getting into bed with her in the early hours of the morning; the desk was bare except for her sketchbook, and Atem's deck was missing too.

"Did you… get up in the night and move it?" Eshe wondered dubiously; perhaps he was a sleepwalker and had placed his belongings elsewhere unconsciously.

"No, I left them here! They were right here!" His eyes darted to the window and then to Eshe, "Someone… someone's taken them!"

Eshe's eyes widened, and she thought briefly that Leela might have returned home, checked on her, and might've gone just a little bit mad upon seeing who she was curled up with in bed - perhaps she had taken Atem's things and hidden them as a 'joke'.

With a curiously glance down the hall, Eshe noted that Leela's bedroom door was open, which meant she was not there - and she didn't appear to be anywhere in the rest of the apartment.

Atem seemed to have the same idea, " _Leela_ ", he exclaimed, "Where is she? She's taken my Puzzle- and my deck!"

He looked angry, and Eshe raised her hands to try and calm him down, "Leela couldn't have taken them, she's not here- she's still staying at her friend's house", she tried to dismiss his avid accusation with logic, but he didn't seem satisfied with Eshe's statement.

" _She's done something_! I know she has-"

"Atem, I know you and Leela don't get along but I don't appreciate that you're accusing her of stealing your Puzzle when she's _not here_ ", Eshe responded, frowning deeply at the boy.

"No, she- there's something-", he grit his teeth, hands rising to rub at his temples as if to soothe a headache, "Eshe, look, there's something you need to know-"

A loud ringing cut Atem off and they both turned to Eshe's phone on the bedside table; the screen very clearly displaying that Leela was calling her.

"There, look, I'll ask her about it, okay? But I doubt she's got anything to do with it-" Eshe mumbled as she picked up her phone and tapped the 'answer call' button, "Hey, Leela?"

"Hello, Eshe."

The voice that greeted her did not belong to Leela; it was a deep male voice that sent goosebumps over Eshe's skin and something about the tone told her and he wasn't friendly.

"Who is this?" Eshe murmured hesitantly, a waver in her voice, and Atem's gaze hardened on the phone in her hand; he stepped closer, leaning in to try and listen.

"Aww, you don't recognise my voice?" the mysterious man cooed without an ounce of friendliness, "I'm hurt. Oh well, I suppose it has been a while."

Eshe's mind raced, a sickly feeling moving from her chest to her stomach and she quickly hit the 'speaker' button so that Atem could hear everything; she shivered with fear at the animosity coming over the line.

"Who are you? Where is Leela? Is this some kind of horrible prank? _Cause I'm not liking it_ ", Eshe hissed, entertaining the idea that the friend whose house Leela was staying at thought it would be funny to swipe her phone and make a call as a joke.

"No, no, nothing like that. I'm merely calling to tell you that I have your friend, and if you ever want to see her alive again then you'll come to the abandoned B14 warehouse on the South-East side of the city at seven o'clock tonight. Don't bother calling the police, that would be utterly futile; you should probably bring your Duel Monsters deck. Oh, and Atem, I know you're there. You're welcome to come along, you've probably realised by now that your Puzzle is missing", the malicious grin on the other end of the line was almost audible through the speaker, "See you soon."

The call hung up immediately, and the two stood frozen in shock for several seconds before Eshe slowly lowered the phone, a terribly familiar chill running up her back; she took a shaky exhale before she burst into action, rushing to punch in some numbers on the keypad.

"What're you doing?" Atem asked.

"I'm calling the police!" Eshe cried, her eyes welling up in fear for Leela's life.

"No, wait- don't-", Atem proceeded to snatch the phone from her before she could input the last digit, and Eshe let out a furious wail edged with disbelief as he held it out of her reach.

"What the fuck are you doing!? I need to call the police!" she screamed, grabbing onto his shoulders none-too-gently and shaking him.

"The police can't help- this is beyond their capabilities", his voice sounded heavy and gravelly as he spoke, his face dented with worry.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? _GIVE ME THE FUCKING PHONE!_ " Eshe screamed, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes and going as far as to pull on his wild hair in order to get him to drop the device; but he held it solidly out of her reach.

"Listen to me, Eshe-"

" _Atem, what the fuck is wrong with you!? Leela's been kidnapped by some maniac-_ "

"I need to tell you something important, please-"

" _He could be hurting her-_ "

" _Just listen to me!"_ Atem bellowed, throwing her phone to the bed before snatching Eshe up in his arms, holding her tightly so she couldn't escape.

Eshe shook in his grasp, stunned by his shout and whimpering from the painful grip he had on her; she looked up at him in silent fright.

His hold softened slightly, enough to stop hurting her but not enough so that she could wriggle free.

"It's real."

Eshe's face scrunched up as she glared at the boy, "What?" He was wasting precious time; Leela was in trouble and he was speaking nonsensically.

"Your dreams, Eshe, they're not just dreams."

Her eyes widened on his damaged expression.

" _They're real._ "

* * *

 **Notes: I'm so evil, I hope I made you cry :) PLEASE REVIEW! I'M GETTING SO EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THIS FIC! :D**


	23. Searching For A Sweet Surrender

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-Two: Searching For A Sweet Surrender

Eshe had been twelve years old when she first met Leela; forced by her aunt and uncle to stay at Holiday Camp for a couple of weeks in the Summer, Eshe had been miserable for the first few days of antisocial brooding where she had been coerced into taking part in recreational activities with children she didn't like. It was a camp for building social skills, but nobody wanted to hang out with Eshe, and Eshe didn't want to hang out with them; which left the girl partnerless in many of the enterprises that required the kids to pair up.

The _Timber Bay Village_ , which was a retreat for children of all ages, was situated at the edge of a freshwater lake and surrounded by woodlands; it was the perfect holiday centre for families and campers, or in Eshe's case, children whose guardians were fed up with them taking up space in the house over Summer break.

Eshe had been sat on the bank of the lake dressed in her bathing suit and a pair of blue shorts while her camp-mates coupled up to go swimming; it would have been nice to take a dip with the hot Californian sun beating down from above, but unfortunately as the rules dictated, any swimming child was required to have a swim-buddy so that they could keep a close eye on each other and alert an adult immediately in the event of any type of emergency.

Sitting back on her towel, Eshe messily drew the colourful scenery in her little sketchbook as she tried to convince herself that she wasn't put down by the fact that her shyness meant she wouldn't be allowed to swim like all the other kids.

She'd been approached, an insistent shadow looming over her that left her feeling anxious as she assumed whoever was blocking out her sun was not going to be friendly. Instead, Eshe had hesitantly looked up and been greeted by a sandy-haired girl with a big, wide smile. With green eyes shining, the chubby-cheeked girl had knelt beside her and begun to talk avidly about how much she loved Eshe's drawing.

Her name was Leela, and they'd quickly become friends, chatting endlessly and animatedly about all sorts of things, and as it turned out, Leela was also not too great when it came to making friends.

Together, they went swimming in the lake, and strived to keep in contact once holiday camp had come to an end. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

That had been over six years ago; and since then, Eshe and Leela had become close, best friends through thick and thin. Overcoming all sorts of obstacles together, helping one another through the hardships of life; Leela had been there for her whenever Eshe had needed a shoulder to cry on or an alternate perspective, always ready to offer advice.

The first hiccup in their relationship had appeared when Eshe had shown interest in a cute boy at high school. Chad had been an absolute _dreamboat_ , with flawless pale skin, shining blonde hair and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen; he'd approached Eshe with unwavering confidence and a fun sense of humour and she'd foolishly fallen for him immediately.

Leela had been suspicious of him from the get-go, telling Eshe multiple times that he was hiding something - that no one is that perfect.

Eshe had brushed off Leela's mistrust as jealousy - that Eshe would be spending more time with Chad and less time with her; it had put a dampener on their 'best friends' status for a short while, until Eshe had discovered a box under Chad's bed that was full of disgusting photos of animals being tortured by the blonde _dreamboat_ himself. Eshe had ran out of his house, and out of his life, quicker than a speeding bullet, and she hadn't spoken to him since.

Leela had been unexpectedly sympathetic.

No cries of 'I told you so!' like Eshe had anticipated; the girl had been a good friend and spent a lot of time building Eshe's confidence back up again.

Leela had been right about Chad.

 _And Leela had been right about Atem._

Swallowing thickly around the lump in her throat, Eshe glared at the tanned boy whose arms were almost crushing her in an encompassing grip, an intransigent scowl on her puffy, red face.

"What is wrong with you?" Eshe cried, her voice high-pitched and disbelieving.

Atem's eyebrows drew together, an agonising look in his eyes, "Eshe-"

"No, _fuck you!_ " Eshe spat, "You know I really thought you were different, Atem- I thought you were a good guy, but now my friend is in trouble and all you can do is _mock my goddamn dreams_!?"

"No, no- I'm not! I'm not-"

" _Leela was right, you're a fucking asshole!_ " Eshe screamed, wriggling violently to escape Atem's tenacious hold on her. As he grunted and pleaded for Eshe to hold still and listen, she maneuvered around and used leverage to kick him in the shin.

Ignoring his cry of pain, Eshe pushed him off as his grip weakened and she dived for the bed, flailing to pluck up her phone to rush and dial the emergency number; unfortunately, Atem was on her again in seconds, pinning her down as he once again seized her phone and tossed it off of the bed.

" _Fucking stop!"_ Eshe screeched, floundering beneath the stronger boy. She was beginning to breathe hard and laboured from being constrained in such a way, it was enough to trigger the fight-or-flight response that arose from her claustrophobia.

" _Eshe, listen to me!"_ Atem yelled desperately, "Stop struggling, you'll hurt yourself!"

"No, _you'll_ hurt me!" Eshe growled, jerking her elbow back blindly into his stomach.

"We were five- _agh! -_ we were five years old when we first met!" Atem gasped, grunting in pain as her elbow collided none-too-lightly with his abdomen.

"What are you talking about!?" Eshe hissed, her struggles lessening briefly as she caught his senseless ramblings.

"We were five years old when we first met. Your father - Nizam - he brought you to my palace. I was a prince, you were a princess", he spoke quickly, and Eshe had to mentally replay what he had just told her in order to comprehend what he was saying.

Shaking slightly with residual struggles, Eshe stilled cautiously, "W-what?"

The only vestiges she had left behind of that dream was the small drawing of the Egyptian Plover bird she had befriended; nothing she'd drawn had mentioned the name of her dream-self's father, Nizam, and she certainly hadn't written it down or spoken a word of it to anyone. There was absolutely no way Atem should know that name.

Atem huffed steady breaths from the exertion it took to restrain her, "My father was Pharaoh Aknamkanon, he welcomed you to the palace, you- you didn't want to stay at first because you knew you would miss your father. The… the first time I spoke to you, we were in the palace gardens, and I thought you were picking the flowers…"

Eshe had gone motionless below him as he spoke, her body rigid from shock; she wracked her brain for any explanation as to how he could possibly know these things - perhaps last night she had tiredly mentioned all those little morsels of information about her dreams. But she couldn't recall anything like that happening at all.

"How… how do you know- how could you possibly-?"

"Because I'm telling the truth, Eshe", Atem asserted, and Eshe blinked slowly up at him, eyes wide as she looked into his beseeching gaze.

Eshe felt her heart pounding as darkness teased her peripheral vision, "Atem… get off, I can't- can't breathe", she gasped, and the boy scrambled up to his hands and knees, alleviating the pressure on her chest. He shuffled off of her, giving her space to draw in breath, trusting she wouldn't dart for her phone again after what he had told her.

Head spinning, Eshe was glad she was lying flat on her bed, because if she had been standing upright, well… she wouldn't have been standing upright for very long. Blackness continued to fuzz around the edge of her gaze as she stared up wide-eyed at the ceiling, her thoughts reeling endlessly in her head, serving only to provide more stress and confusion to her already struggling mind.

"Are you alright?" Atem asked softly and hesitantly, his tentative fingers reaching out to curl around Eshe's arm; he retracted his touch when she flinched away, pulling her arms to herself.

"No, no-no, no I'm _not_ alright. _I'm not alright_ ", Eshe whispered, blinking hard to dispel the looming static around her vision. She endeavoured to control her breathing and keep it steady as her eyes stung with the need to well up with tears; crying wouldn't help her, she needed to stay calm and _think_.

Atem sat up straight and ran a hand through his hair, a sigh of exhausted frustration leaving his mouth; he shimmied to the edge of the bed and ducked his head to rub his temples, staring pointedly at his bare feet.

"We need to go back to the Game Shop", Atem spoke, and Eshe gave humourless laugh.

"I'm not leaving this room", she told him stubbornly; her mind was addled with unclear thoughts and she wasn't entirely sure she would be able to stand up. She wasn't leaving until she had everything figured out in her head.

" _Eshe_ ", Atem stated, firmly and angry, "I know this is a lot to take in but we can't afford to sit around and do nothing-"

"I'm trying to think!" Eshe snapped, managing to push herself up onto her elbows.

"Well you can _think_ on the way to the Game Shop", Atem snapped just as harshly, rising to retrieve his shoes.

" _Why?_ " Eshe cried; what could Yugi even offer the situation, it seemed ridiculous to try and involve him- unless he was already involved.

"BECAUSE", Atem exclaimed, " _I can't figure this out on my own!_ " A flicker of weakness passed through his deep purple eyes and his face scrunched up, reluctant to admit that in that moment without his friends, he seemed just a little bit helpless.

"I don't know what to do. If I can get the others together, maybe we can come up with a plan!" He explained exasperatedly, and Eshe shook her head, rubbing her hands over her face.

"Oh God…" She breathed miserably, "He has Leela…"

"He also has my Puzzle and my God cards", Atem spoke through his troubled expression.

"No offense, Atem, but I think the life of my best friend is a little more pressing than your stupid necklace and rare cards", Eshe hissed through gritted teeth, the stress of the situation making her irritable and spiteful.

Atem heaved an irked breath, trying his utmost not to grow outraged by Eshe's insensitive antagonising, "Eshe, my Puzzle is dangerous in the wrong hands. If this man can figure out how to tap into it's dark power, a _lot_ more lives could be at risk", he spoke calmly in a low voice that demanded compliance, "Come with me to the Game Shop, and we can figure out how to save Leela _and_ retrieve the Puzzle without any casualties."

Eshe gave Atem a dreary look, her flaring logic dictating that everything the boy was telling her was just… _crazy_. _Magical necklaces, ancient lives, an implied homicidal maniac that wanted to channel dark powers_ …

What had her life come to?

* * *

People were staring, and Eshe couldn't blame them. She and Atem must've looked like quite an interesting sight; the tanned boy, still dressed in only his Kuriboh pyjamas with a loose jacket slung over the top, took heavy and purposeful steps, a look of displeasure on his hardened features, as he dragged Eshe along behind him by the wrist with an unyielding grip.

Eshe, on the other hand, allowed her flimsy self to be dragged along while she stared into nothingness, her puffy face clouded with dazed perplexion; luckily she was more appropriately clothed and had managed to grab her bag before leaving.

When they arrived at the Game Shop, Yugi seemed relieved to know that his brother was fine after hastily disappearing in the middle of the night without a word; the younger Muto adopted a stern posture, crossing his arms in the kind of way a disappointed parent might in order to scold their child for sneaking out to a party late at night.

"Atem, where have you been!?" Yugi asked, a frown on his face.

The tanned boy gave Yugi a weary look, sighing guiltily before simply saying, "I'm sorry, Yugi. I lost the Puzzle and the God cards. Call the others, I'll explain everything when they arrive."

Yugi's eyes grew wide at Atem's words as his gaze darted back and forth between him and Eshe; Atem turned away from his brother's astonished stare and headed towards the stairs, presumably in transit to his room to get dressed.

"Eshe knows", Atem informed, before ascending the steps to their bedrooms, leaving the disoriented Eshe with the equally stunned Yugi.

Yugi turned back to Eshe, his wide eyes full of confusion and concern, no doubt taking in the way Eshe looked completely enervated both physically and emotionally, and offered his arm to help guide her to the dining table in the kitchen.

"Come and sit down, I'll get you a glass of water", Yugi spoke, pressing a gentle hand to her back to encourage her to move.

She was exceedingly out of it, her thoughts hadn't stopped whirling since Atem had relayed the events of some of her dreams back to her, and she was still trying to resolve an explanation rationally without entertaining the possibility that magic might be a real thing that actually exists.

Sipping her drink quietly, Eshe waited while Yugi called their other friends, she waited while Atem got dressed and rejoined them in the kitchen, and she waited in silence until Tristan and Joey arrived almost half an hour later.

"Hey, man, what's going on?" Joey asked as he and the brown-haired boy entered the room, a look of discretion on his face as he caught sight of the dejected girl sitting soundless at the table.

Yugi frowned, glancing over his shoulder between Eshe and Atem, who was stood stiffly, looking out the window, and shrugged his shoulders.

Atem turned around as Joey and Tristan filtered in, "Where's Téa?"

"I couldn't get ahold of her", Yugi answered, and Tristan perked up slightly.

"Wait, didn't she say something last week about a dance audition?" the brown-haired boy tilted his head and Yugi rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish look settling on his face at his forgetfulness.

" _Oh-_ was that today!?" Yugi exclaimed, "Well, ah- I've left her a voicemail, she'll get back to us when she's free."

Atem sighed, chancing a glance at Eshe to see how she was holding up; the girl stared idly at her empty glass of water, remaining discomfited in her state of perturbation, and Atem joined the others sitting at the table, feeling remorseful that he was at fault for her distress.

The tanned boy began a lengthy explanation from the reason he left in the middle of the night to what they had discovered when they awoke that morning and the subsequent phone call Eshe had received. The group remained quiet and attentive the whole time, and Eshe's eyes flickered up to their faces, determining whether or not she was the only one that found it absolutely ridiculous that they had not yet called the police.

"So Eshe remembers everything!?" Joey exclaimed in surprise, his eyes darting to the girl who looked a little flummoxed by his assertion.

"I… I don't…" she stuttered, and the weight and realisation that the gang was in on pretty much everything made her crumble on the inside, "What… is this…?"

Was it all just an elaborate prank that they were all a part of?

Because if it was a prank, they were all _really_ good actors all of a sudden. Eshe found herself wishing Téa was there with them; she knew the blue-eyed girl was made of friendship and compassion, there was no way she would willingly take part in such a terrible joke at Eshe's expense.

Atem shook his head and dispiritedly answered, "She remembers… fragments."

Eshe's face twitched, a indignant look passing over her face at being spoken about like she wasn't sitting right there; then again, she didn't exactly have anything fruitful to add to their conversation in her current capacity.

As the four boys continued to talk among themselves, Eshe's attention faded in and out until a very prominent thought crossed her mind.

"What does this person want with me?" Eshe asked, interrupting and reminding them that she was very much present in the room.

The boys fell silent at her inquiry, Eshe looked pointedly at Atem who seemed to be the most knowledgeable on the subject of… _whatever_ this was all about.

Atem shook his head slightly, eyes falling to the table, "I don't know… I don't know if they want you or me-"

"Well clearly they want me, isn't that obvious?" Eshe argued, "That creep called my phone- it sounded like he _knew_ me! He asked _me_ to go to the warehouse, your presence is optional!"

"He might be trying to use you to get to me-"

"Then _why_ did he kidnap Leela!? Why not just find a way to kidnap me!?"

Atem sighed in exasperation, "He did _try_ , at least twice. The first time, I saw him waiting for you, hidden in an alley, and the second time- if Kaiba hadn't picked you up, he probably would've taken you."

Eshe sat back against her chair, realising she was missing out on _a lot_ of this crazy story; she shook her head as she tried to get her mind around it, "Atem… start from the top."

The tanned boy opened his mouth and hesitated, before Joey let out a humourless snort, "Are you sure we have time to explain everything?"

Atem sighed again, "Joey's right", he checked the clock on the kitchen wall, "We've got six hours until seven o'clock. We need to use this time to figure out a plan."

Eshe let out a frustrated groan, "Then tell me this… before, you thought Leela had stolen your Puzzle. Any particular reason?"

Atem rubbed the side of his neck, electing to pick his words carefully, "Leela is involved. I remember her from the past… except her name was Dalila back then", he looked pointedly at Eshe, "She was your friend- this can't be a coincidence."

"Whoa, what!? Leela's from the past?" Tristan exclaimed, raising a skeptical eye on Atem, "Why did it take you so long to realise?"

Sheepishly, Atem responded, "I didn't know her that well… and she looks a little different", he seemed a little diffident that he hadn't put it together before.

"Hold up", Eshe grumbled, "You're saying Leela is from the past… and that she... _remembers_?" She shook her head as Atem nodded, something inside her still unwilling to believe all this drivel, and yet, all of their faces suggested they spoke the truth, "This is bullshit", she hissed, eyes narrowed in anger, "I've known Leela since we were twelve, if that were true then it would've come out by now, she'd never keep something like that from me, not- not like _you_ did, you- _this_ was your big secret?"

Eshe paused to breathe, fighting to keep her temper under control; she saw the way Atem's eyes flashed with hurt, but it didn't alleviate her anger in the slightest.

This whole time, everything about Atem had seemed perfect, the way he spoke, the things he said, his gorgeous smile and his gentle touches - Eshe felt like a fool for having become captivated by him.

"Since the beginning, you- you've known so much about me while you pretended not to… none of it was genuine?" Her eyes watered at the thought, he'd been playing her since the start.

"That's not true-"

" _All this time_ , you've just been- _pandering_ to me using everything you knew about my _supposed_ past life? You've been _manipulating_ me into liking you?" Atem shook his head in disbelief.

"Eshe, that's not at all what I've been doing", he spoke, "I've been trying to figure out a way to restore your memories."

Eshe sniffed, eyeing the boys heavily as they looked at her pleadingly, willing her to believe them, "Then why not just tell me the truth?"

Atem looked regretful, but guardedly responded, "Would you have believed me?"

He was right, she wouldn't have believed him.

"Okay, well- God, this is too much…" Eshe rubbed her face, brushing the tears from her eyes and the hurt from her face. The others gave her sympathetic looks as she struggled to keep her composure, "What are we going to do then? If calling the police really is useless, then… I have to go to the warehouse?"

"Absolutely not", Atem's voice was firm and irrevocable, "I'll go alone."

"Uhh, no you won't, buddy", Tristan spoke up, raising an eyebrow as if to say ' _not in a million years_ '.

"Like hell you'll go alone!" Joey snapped and Yugi frowned, looking up at the tanned boy with incredulity.

"Atem, you know that's a bad idea. We stick together", the younger Muto contended.

Atem crossed his arms, eyes slipping closed as he adopted a very commanding aura about himself, "I'm not going to let all of you walk into a trap. That's clearly what this is."

"Oh, so we're supposed to let _you_ walk into a trap?" Tristan drawled sarcastically and Atem's eyes twitched in disgruntlement.

"I just don't want any of you getting hurt."

"And we don't want you to get hurt", Yugi pressed, his usually round eyes narrowed in determination.

Eshe watched the brothers stare each other down before breaking the silence moments later, "I'm not going to stay here while that creep is doing God-knows-what to my best friend. Leela is in danger."

Atem's gaze snapped towards her and he raised his voice, stubbornly telling her, " _You're in danger too_."

She took a deep breath to calm herself and proverbially take a step back to access the situation logically, "If… if that creep was in my home when he stole your Puzzle and your deck, and his intention was to hurt us, then he had _plenty_ of opportunities to do so. We were asleep, hell, if he wanted to hurt us then it would've made sense for him to do it when we couldn't fight back! You don't know what he wants, and we won't find out unless we go." She crossed her arms as she argued her point, satisfied with her sense of rationale and hoping that Atem would come around.

"I forbid you from going to that warehouse", Atem imposed, his tone kingly and demanding and Eshe grit her teeth as she gave him a scathing look.

She stood quickly, slamming her palms against the table as she leaned over and glared at the boy right in the eyes; the others recoiled slightly at her sudden movement but Atem remained unbothered, a well-practised stare meant for intimidation aimed directly at her.

"You aren't Pharaoh here, and I'm not your goddamned servant. You can't order me around like you own me", Eshe hissed, Atem's eyes twitched as he realised how horrible he'd sounded.

Joey was the one to break up the icy atmosphere that ensued, "Uhh, look, Atem, she's got a point…"

Atem ran a hand through his hair, his face the picture of shame at his unfairly forceful behaviour, "I'm sorry", he spoke quietly, "I just want to keep you safe."

Eshe stepped away from the table, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she brought them off the surface; she groaned as black spots began to encompass her vision and she saw the moment Atem's expression turned from sorrow to concern.

"Eshe?" He called as her face paled considerably, rising from his chair to lend a comforting hand.

Yugi placed a hand on her shoulder steadily, standing as her legs wobbled beneath her.

"I have to… save… Leela", she gasped out, grasping the counter edge for support; Atem's arm was around her within moments to stop her from plummeting to the ground.

"Eshe? Eshe, what's wrong?"

The sound of Atem's worried voice seemed far away and muffled, and Eshe blinked heavily, trying her best to fight the enclosing darkness; she heard Yugi mention something about the fact that she was still recovering from stress overload.

Oh, yeah, this was _definitely_ not helping with the stress.

"Eshe, you need to rest", Atem spoke, and Eshe shook her head stubbornly.

There was no way she could sleep at a time like this, not while her friend had been kidnapped and was probably terrified in the clutches of a maniac, and yet, she didn't have the strength to protest when Atem asked Tristan to help him carry her to his bedroom.

"You can sleep in my bed", Atem told her, and Eshe felt flustered against her will; she knew it was merely for the cause of allowing her to regain her strength, _and_ that she had already let him sleep in her bed that morning, but her head was muddled from everything that had happened and she forgave the few stray, addled thoughts that travelled through her mind.

Atem's bedroom was nothing like what she had initially imagined; she had assumed the boy's room would be extremely well organised and neat - she didn't know why she had made that assumption, he was a teenaged boy after all. The covers on the unmade bed were strewn about and there were Duel Monsters cards spread messily over his desk - a few of which had found their way onto the floor - and there were some _hopefully not dirty_ clothes dropped haphazardly on the carpet.

Of course, he had been a pharaoh. He was probably used to having servants tidy up after him.

The window was cracked open, allowing fresh air to flow around and make the room smell nice, much to her relief, and she breathed the smell of Atem on the pillows as she was placed on the bed - a scent that up until this morning she had found entirely comforting. Now it just reminded her that she was mixed up in a whole lot of trouble.

Atem lingered on the edge of the bed as Tristan returned downstairs; he placed an uncertain hand on her arm - hesitant because he wasn't sure his touch was still welcomed - and squeezed reassuringly.

"Sleep, we'll figure something out, I promise", Atem spoke softly, "I won't let any harm come to you, Eshe…"

Eshe shuffled onto her side to face away from him, hiding her face in the cushiony pillow, and she heard Atem sigh softly as he released her arm and moved away from the bed.

Atem left the door slightly ajar and then descended the stairs sorrowfully, wondering if he'd ruined any attempts to restore Eshe's memories and reconcile with his lost love. Rejoining his friends, he sat at the table and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Alright… this man has my Millennium Puzzle, my deck, and Eshe's friend - a person who is connected to our past", Atem began, "I think it's safe to assume he might also have come from Ancient Egypt… somehow."

"Right, so whatever we do, we have to be careful", Yugi spoke, and turned to the other two boys with a somewhat sarcastic smile, "That means we can't go in there and challenge him to a fist fight."

"Aww man", Joey whined and Tristan looked sheepish, shrugging his shoulders slightly before his eyes lit up with an idea.

"Hey, maybe he wants to challenge you to a duel", Tristan suggested, and Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"If he wanted to challenge Atem to a duel… why steal his entire deck?" the younger boy inquired, and Tristan appeared to think it over in his head for a moment before giving a conceding sigh.

"Yeah, I guess that doesn't make sense…"

"Maybe he wanted to challenge Eshe to a duel?" Joey inputted.

The thought of it set Atem's teeth on edge; it seemed plausible, and given that the man had stolen the Puzzle as well, it wouldn't be a very friendly duel.

"That's not going to happen", Atem stated firmly. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in Eshe's dueling skills, but she was in no fit state to take part in a shadow duel; he would never allow her to fall into such danger.

 _Never_.

 _Not again_. Not after he perished in their past life and left her alone to face whatever mysterious circumstances surrounded her death.

"Well, what do you suggest Atem?" Yugi asked gently.

With a glance to the clock, Atem noted they had just under five hours to come up with an idea of how to approach the situation, he sighed and gave the others a troubled look, "Since you won't let me face this alone, I suppose one or two of you should come with me", he regarded Yugi with an apologetic look, "I think you should stay here, Yugi."

Yugi's eyes widened, "Wha-? You- you don't get it, do you?" he stood and placed his palm flat against his chest, "We face these things together, Atem. We always have, and now is no different."

Atem eyed the table hard, biting against the inside of his lip, "Okay, so we _all_ go, and then what?"

Tristan smirked, "We improvise!"

"We need a _plan_!" Atem contended.

"When have our plans _ever_ actually worked, buddy?" the brown-haired boy responded with a raised eyebrow. Atem frowned; rarely, it seemed, had any of their plans ever actually gone the way they'd intended.

"What about Eshe?" Joey asked curiously.

"She stays here", Atem said immediately, and Joey frowned, chewing on his bottom lip.

"Yeah but… alone?"

Atem grimaced, he hadn't thought about the possibility that this could all be a trap to lead the group to the warehouse while leaving Eshe completely unprotected. Grandpa was here, but… he wasn't exactly prepared to fight off dark-magic-wielding villains.

There were too many possibilities, and without his Puzzle he didn't know how he could protect his friends.

They talked amongst themselves for hours, flushing out potentially bad ideas; if they knew what they _shouldn't_ do, maybe they could figure out what they _should_ do.

By the time the clock read 6:35pm, they had come to an agreement; they would all go, and face this evil together.

"I'm going to go and see how Eshe's doing", Atem declared, rising from his seat. He felt a little better knowing that no matter what, his friends were determined to stand beside him even in the face of danger; a spark of anxiousness still remained in the pit of his stomach, the dreading feeling that if any of them were in immediate peril, he didn't know what he could do to save them without his Puzzle.

He ascended the stairs and reached his bedroom door; with a gentle knock, he pushed it open slightly.

"Eshe?" he called, and stepped into the room.

The bed was vacant and the window was wide open.

Dread crept over him like an icy chill, and he sped out the room to alert his friends, almost tripping down the stairs in the process, " _Yugi! She's gone!"_

* * *

Eshe stepped off the bus at the stop closest to the pier and looked out across the docks to the series of warehouses located south-east of the city. No doubt the boys back at the Game Shop would have noticed her absence by now; she sniffed and rubbed her dry eyes, a spike of fear running through her at what she was about to do.

Maybe it had been a stupid idea to come to the warehouse alone, but she didn't care. Her friend needed her.

She made her way guardedly down the quiet sidewalk towards the large buildings, long since rife with life; the sun was hidden by overcast clouds which gave the daunting area a murky atmosphere, fueling her apprehension and doubts.

A loud buzzing ringtone made her jump and she quickly shoved her hand into her bag to pull out her phone, silencing it by declining the call. The caller ID showed that Atem was trying to reach her, probably to try and convince her not to make any stupid choices. It was too late for that.

Switching her phone to silent, she quickly checked the time before slipping her phone - still vibrating as Atem tried to contact her - back into the bottom of her bag. She had twenty minutes until seven o'clock, it would probably take the others about that long to arrive if they took the bus.

Eshe breathed a deep breath, rounding the closest building, she looked up at the dirty bricks that made up the infrastructure of the warehouse; she stared hard at the windows, some cracked and some fully broken. Along the top of the abandoned structure, among the vast collection of graffiti, was an identification code.

' _B12'_

Glancing up at the other buildings, she continued to move until she spotted the warehouse labelled _B14_ ; Eshe heaved another shuddering sigh as unease panged within her.

Leela was inside that warehouse, along with someone potentially very dangerous, and she was just going to waltz right in there like a crazy person.

Well, it was now or never.

Clenching her hands to mitigate the vigorous shaking, she forced herself to display a faux composure, giving the impression that she was calm, confident, and ready to face whatever terrible entity was awaiting her.

She reached the door, very aware of the insistent vibration of her phone in her bag pressing against her side. She ignored it and valiantly - or stupidly - stepped forward, pushing the door open to enter the darkened establishment.

No turning back now.

Eshe was greeted with nothingness as the door creaked and fell shut behind her, plunging the room into blackness; the only glimmer present was the very grim evening sunlight peeking through the broken windows on the upper level of the depot. After a moment, her eyes adjusted slightly, and Eshe's lips drew back in disgust at the incredibly unsanitary sight before her.

The ground was littered with debris, piles of bricks and old materials scattered about, and Eshe was sure that if she happened to look close enough, there would most definitely be a few discarded, used needles tossed amongst the trash.

Crude graffiti lined the walls and there were coils of hose and broken piping spread across the dirty, dusty ground.

The room was cold, and Eshe hugged her arms tightly, wishing desperately she had chosen to come with her friends.

"L-Leela?" Eshe called out, her voice faltering and betraying her fear.

Her voice echoed in the large room, rebounding off the walls and making her sound a lot louder than she had intended. At the far end of the room, hidden beneath the shadow of the upper level, there was movement.

"Leela?" Eshe repeated, stepping forward as the vague shape of a person became clear in her vision.

She was tied to a chair, her body shaking and shivering in the biting murkiness of the room, her face was covered with a musty looking sack and she was shaking her head, making sounds of distress.

"Oh _God_ ", Eshe whispered, newfound tears welling up in her eyes as she stepped blindly forward, making a dash for her bound friend. It frightened her to think that the girl had been trapped here all day in this dark, cold, disgusting building.

Upon reaching the girl, Eshe grabbed and pulled the filthy sack off of her head.

Eshe's heart skipped a beat as she looked down at the shaken girl who was definitely _not_ Leela.

"T-Téa?" Eshe squeaked in shock; the brown-haired girl shook her head free of the lingering dust on her face from the gross sack and squinted up at the tanned girl before her eyes widened.

Eshe reached to remove the makeshift gag from her mouth and immediately Téa launched into series of barely legible, panicked cries.

"Eshe, it's a trap- it's-"

"Téa, what's going on?" Eshe whispered, "Who brought you here?" Her voice was brimming with confusion and trepidation, a million questions growing in her mind with no answers.

"I- I don't know, some man- but- Eshe, it's Lee-" Téa's exclamation was cut short as another voice interposed.

"Hey Eshe."

Eshe flung around, her body froze at the jarring sight of her best friend standing adjacent, completely unharmed, an apologetic smile on her face.

"L-Leela? What?" Eshe breathed, and Leela's gaze fell to the ground, her head nodding in sympathy.

"I know you weren't expecting this, Eshe", Leela spoke, her voice steady, "But I want you to know, I'm sorry this has to happen."

Eshe's mouth fell open, the fog of disorientation clouding her mind and keeping her from responding coherently, "Wh- what are you saying? What's going on?" her voice cracked with rising consternation.

"This is necessary", Leela stated, before her gaze lifted and she nodded to the rafters above; Eshe barely had time to survey the upper level of the warehouse before an inexorable gloom fell over the entire room.

Above, she caught sight of a familiar figure; the being who had been stalking her a week or so prior, cloaked in black, hooded robes with the Millennium Puzzle exhibited proudly around their neck.

Eshe became aware of the noise of Téa protesting as the room seemed to morph around them; wisps of dark purple interlocking around them to form a misted, marginally translucent force-field, accompanied by a feeling of sheer horror.

Covering her ears and shutting her eyes tight, Eshe struggled to control her breathing, "What's going on? Why is this happening? Why-"

"Gonna need you to get ahold of yourself, Eshe", Leela called out, raising her arm purposefully in front of her.

' _This has to be a dream_ ', Eshe thought frantically, ' _Maybe I'm still at home sleeping… Atem by my side… none of that shit this morning ever happened… I'm dreaming- just dreaming-_ '

A strange sort of smog appeared around Leela's outstretched arm and began to condense, solidifying into a familiar object, a duel disk.

' _Please let this be a dream_.'

"Eshe, stop sulking. Pull yourself together and duel me", Leela spoke, and her voice was stringent and unnaturally aloof.

"Leela, what the fuck is going on!?" Eshe cried, head pounding and hands shaking.

"A shadow game, that's what", Leela answered, and the same spooky smog circled Eshe's own arm, taking the form of a duel disk.

Mouth hanging open, Eshe twisted her arm around, observing the duel disk that had just materialised out of thin air; nothing made sense, everything seemed impossible.

Was this the dark power Atem had spoken about briefly?

Eshe's voice was flawed with stammering, "What's a sh-shadow game?" What remained of her couraged seemed to have flown out of the broken windows a long time ago.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll explain everything to you", Leela spoke, her tone full of fabricated reassurance, "Observe", she pointed to where Téa sat still secured to the chair off to one side.

Transparent, glass-like panes surrounded her, emerging from nothing, just like the duel disk had, entrapping Téa in a large hour-glass, the topside filled with black sands that began to slowly percolate into the lower confinement.

Téa's eyes grew alert, " _Eshe!_ "

"Téa over there is your time limit, a little assurance so that you don't think you can just escape this duel without consequences. If your time runs out", a slight shrug accompanied her next words, "Her soul will be lost in the shadows forever."

Eshe felt fear wash over her at Leela's words, her whole body trembling and her voice stuck in her throat.

"Here's how this is going to go. This duel isn't just a friendly game, it's a _shadow game_ , meaning that whoever loses will face punishment. In this case, if you lose the game, you lose all memory of your friends. Permanently."

Eshe's mouth went dry, her panic growing as she became aware of her inability to swallow around the lump that had arisen in her throat.

"And if I lose, which won't happen, I lose all memory of you."

Finally, at least, Eshe found her voice, although it was squeaky and abundant with blubbering, "W-why are you doing this?"

Leela sighed, "That doesn't matter."

"It- it kinda _does_ ", Eshe cried, eyes stinging, and she heard the malicious chuckle of the man spectating from the upper level. Well, someone appeared to be gleaning amusement from her situation.

" _Eshe_ , you can't lose this duel!" Téa cried, "You _have_ to win!"

But what if she couldn't?

The sands in the hourglass began to fall rapidly, much quicker than Eshe had anticipated; she had to move, but she was frozen in fear.

Eshe was at a loss; she saw no way she could win, no matter what happened. If she walked away from the duel, Téa would effectively die; that was completely out of the question. If she lost the duel, she lost her memories of the others, of Atem.

But if she won, her closest friend would forget her forever.

She had to make a choice.

* * *

 **Notes: So this chapter and the next chapter were originally supposed to be one whole chapter, but that would have made it super long and I definitely wouldn't have had it posted in time. I figured it was better to leave this chapter here and split it into two parts :) So, the next chapter SHOULD be posted on Thursday (July 27th) which is my birthday! If for any reason I'm unable to have it posted on that day, then it'll be posted on the Friday instead. Now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please leave me a review! :D**


	24. Forcing Up A Black Sunrise

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-Three: Forcing Up A Black Sunrise

The release of black sands tipping rapidly into the bottom half of the hourglass Téa was trapped in was enough to kickstart Eshe into action; through her haze of heartbreak induced by Leela's seeming betrayal, Eshe thrust her hand into her bag and pulled out her deck, almost dropping them in her hasty attempt to shuffle and insert them into the duel disk.

Leela produced her own shuffled deck, a small smirk on her face as she slipped in into place; Eshe swallowed thickly, squinting her eyes through the darkness of the atmosphere surrounding them. The purple mist was heavy, and it felt like she was breathing in polluted air; she could sense there was something pure evil about this so-called _Shadow Game_.

"You've never dueled before", Eshe stated, an elementary observation built from what she knew about her best friend, but after today, it was possible that everything she claimed to know about the girl was an utter lie.

"I've had a crash course, _and_ I actually do pay attention when you tell me about your duels", Leela murmured idly as she drew her first hand, "I think I'll go first."

Eshe bit her lip, her eyes flicking to the hourglass where Téa unwillingly resided; the brown-haired girl was watching Leela with a hard look, an expression that Eshe had never seen grace the amicable girl's face.

Téa shook her head to dislodge the pile of sand that had accumulated on her head and resumed her narrow-eyed look in Leela's direction; Eshe was astonished by how calm the trapped girl appeared, Téa clearly had a far more composed resolve than she did.

Eshe's trembling hands were quick to give away how frightened she was, and yet Téa was the one whose life was in danger, but there she sat, quiet and collected, while Eshe quaked where she stood.

"Eshe", Téa spoke, "You're a great duelist, I know you can beat her without a problem!"

Swallowing again, Eshe gave an uncertain nod, drawing her gaze back towards the girl who, for the last six years, had been her closest friend.

Leela rolled her eyes, "We'll see about that", she spoke, a sly smile reaching her face as she played her first card, "I summon _Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts_ in attack mode and end my turn."

Eshe frowned, an understanding befalling her as she recognised the implications of the card Leela had just played, "Wait- you're using-"

"I'm using your _boyfriend's_ deck", Leela informed, a sarcastic and condescending tone to her voice, "With a few of my own special cards thrown into the mix."

A draft breezed through the dark room, and Eshe shivered from the cold air. Leela was using Atem's deck to duel- the same deck that had prevailed over Seto Kaiba not that long ago; Eshe grit her teeth as unsurety settled over her.

It was a powerful deck, what if she didn't have the expertise to beat it?

" _Eshe_ ", Téa called out, seeming to somehow read her mind, "You _know_ that a deck's strength doesn't lie with the cards, but with the duelist that uses them! You can beat her, I know you can!"

Ever encouraging, Téa's words sank in and Eshe realised that Téa did indeed have a great point. Leela had zero dueling experience, it didn't matter that she was using a strong deck if she didn't know all the ins and outs of Atem's strategies and how to properly use the cards she drew.

"Well, what're you waiting for?" Leela looked expectantly at Eshe, "Need I remind you that the longer you stand there doing nothing, the closer your little friend comes to losing her soul?"

Eshe glared at the insensitive girl across from her who was beginning to tap her foot impatiently, she didn't know what had happened to make her best friend act like this. It was as if all the compassion and kindness she'd attributed to the girl over all her years of knowing her had just… _vanished._

Biting down on her quivering lip, Eshe drew for her first turn; her eyes scanned back and forth over the cards without taking them in, the weight of the ambience around her making it difficult to concentrate on the dangerous game she was now playing. Breathing out a sharp exhale, she forced herself to focus.

 **E:8000/L:8000**

"I summon… I summon _Neo The Magic Swordsman_ in attack mode and I attack _Gazelle_ ", Eshe spoke loudly, composing herself; if she could bring an air of intimidation to her character, she might be able to glean an advantage through scare tactics.

Leela huffed as her _Gazelle_ was sent to the graveyard and flinched as she took damage, indignantly snapping, "Well that monster was useless anyway…"

Behind pursed lips, Eshe grinded her teeth back and forth. Did Leela even realise the danger of the situation at hand?

"Next I'll play _Hinotama_ , which deals 500 damage to your lifepoints", with an impressively steady voice, Eshe continued, watching Leela hiss as the all-too-realistic flames were launched at her body.

" _Son of a bitch_ ", Leela grunted, clenching her fist as the flames extinguished; Eshe frowned in confusion. They _were_ still holograms, right?

 _Right?_

 **E:8000/L:7300**

As Leela drew her next card, the doors of the warehouse flew open and with a start, Eshe turned to see Tristan and Joey stumbling through, recovering from their synchronised body slam into the entrance.

"Aw crap!" Joey exclaimed as his eyes focused on the sight before him, "We're too late!"

Atem and Yugi rushed in behind the other boys, their eyes widening as they took in every shocking sight in the room. The younger Muto's immediate reaction was a shout of Téa's name before he ran hastily to her, hands pressed against the glass she was encased in.

Stepping past Joey and Tristan, Atem's eyes flickered with consternation between Eshe, the cloaked figure in the rafters behind her, and finally to Eshe's opponent.

" _Leela!?_ " he hissed, and the girl in question turned, sending the tanned boy a look of what Eshe could only interpret as pure hatred.

"Oh, how nice of you to finally turn up. I'm glad you'll be able to watch when all memory of you vanishes from Eshe's mind", she snapped cruelly, and Atem bristled, his fists clenching at his sides as a deep-seated rage grew in his deep purple eyes.

"What!?" Atem shouted, and Téa quickly called out.

"Atem, the shadow game! If she loses the duel, she'll forget all of us!"

Eshe shuddered almost painfully at the reminder, and not only that, but Téa's exclamation drew her attention to the quickly filling hourglass. The sands had reached the girl's shins and was still climbing higher at an alarmingly fast rate.

Tristan caught sight of the mysterious figure above and he cracked his fists immediately, "Alright, I'm gonna show this guy a piece of my mind!" With overconfident strides, he made a beeline for the stairwell leading to the upper floor, but as he reached the first step, an invisible force pushed him back, sending him spiralling to the ground none too gently.

"Tristan!" Joey rushed to the boy who'd tumbled to the dirty ground, "You okay, man?"

With a grunt, the brown-haired boy pulled himself up into a sitting position, rubbing the arm he had landed on while eyeing the stairs in pained confusion, "There's some kinda force-field or something…"

Atem turned from the fallen boy to the strangely electrical barrier surrounding the duelists, raising his hand to brush cautiously against the surface; he recoiled as the black-purple sparks lunged forward to encompass his arm, a warning to stand back and not intervene.

Clenching and unclenching his hand, Atem turned his fuming gaze on Leela, " _Stop this now!_ You don't understand the power you're playing with!"

" _Actually_ , I understand perfectly!" Leela snapped in response, "I'll summon _Beta the Magnet Warrior_ in attack mode and I'll place a card face down. Your move."

Eshe saw a flash of recognition in Atem's eyes, "Is that _my_ deck?"

"Mostly", Leela responded with a smirk, and Atem let out a growl.

Eshe drew from her deck, surveying the field, they both had monsters with the same number of attack points so attacking with _Neo_ would be counterproductive and leave her defenseless; eyeing the cards in her hand, she spotted one of her favourite combos.

"I summon _Raging Flame Sprite_ , a monster that is able to attack you directly", Eshe called, urging her monster to attack. The weak monster sprung forth, bypassing Leela's monster and taking a valiant swipe at the other girl. "When it successfully deals direct damage, it gains 1000 attack points", Eshe continued, "So next, I'll play _Swords of Revealing Light_ , and end my turn."

 **E:8000/L:7200**

The resulting smirk that grew on Leela's face was extremely unsettling, and it only grew further as Leela drew her next card, "I activate my trap card, _Dust Tornado_ , and destroy your spell card. Now I'll sacrifice my _Magnet Warrior_ to bring forth _Summoned Skull!_ "

Eshe swallowed hard as the intimidating monster materialised on the field, with 2500 attack points it posed a great threat to her defenses, and now that her _Swords of Revealing Light_ was gone as soon as she'd played it, her _Raging Flame Sprite_ was a sitting duck.

" _Summoned Skull_ , attack her _Flame Sprite!_ " Leela commanded, and the skeletal beast shot forth a fleeting bolt of lightning. It engulfed the _Flame Sprite_ , which gave an agonising cry as it dissolved, something Eshe had never before heard from a holographic monster.

The lightning continued on, striking Eshe in the torso, and immediately the pain hit her like an out of control train; she screamed, falling to her knees as she clutched her chest. With pained breaths, she waited for the sharp stabbing to abate, and from beside her she heard Atem calling her name.

He was crouched on the other side of the translucent barrier, unable to do anything but watch, his eyes wide as saucers and filled with alarm; with hard breaths of discomfort, Eshe rose back to her feet, staggering as she fought to regain her footing.

"Eshe, the monsters are real", Yugi informed her carefully, hands still pressed against the hourglass encasing Téa, "the attacks will drain your energy at the same rate they drain your lifepoints!"

Taking a shaky breath, Eshe glanced at the trap Téa remained caught in; the blue-eyed girl looked on with hope and determination in her eyes even as the sands reached her knees. Turning her gaze back to Leela, Eshe cried, "How can you be okay with this!?"

Leela's eyes slipped closed, shaking her head as she crossed her arms, "I really am sorry I have to hurt you, Eshe, but I'm doing this _for_ you. For us."

" _What are you saying?_ You think I want to forget my friends!?"

Heaving a heavy sigh, Leela brushed off the questions, "You wouldn't understand."

"How can I understand? My best friend has completely turned on me!" Eshe snapped, eyes watery with tears.

" _Not_ true!" Leela was quick to contend, her eyes narrowing in disagreement, "I'm doing this because it's better for you!"

Eshe growled in frustration, shutting her eyes tight and shaking her head, "You _idiot!_ You don't know who this man is! I don't know what his intentions are but _they're clearly not good!_ He- I- Leela, I don't know how, but we're from a different time- thousands of years ago, we lived in Egypt!"

Leela eyed her long and hard, her expression unreadable, it was frightening for Eshe, her roommate was a very expressive person, and it was very rare for her face to look so empty and vacant. Finally, Leela spoke again.

"I know who he is, Eshe. And I know about our past lives. I've always known."

At once, Eshe's body felt as though it had been enclosed in ice, it hurt to breathe as the shock came over her in waves. Leela had known since the very beginning, just as Atem had theorised.

"Eshe!" Atem snapped, shocking her back into action, "You need to take your turn!"

The sand had reached Téa's abdomen, Eshe shakily drew her next card, blinking down at her hand. She knew deep down she had to beat Leela, she couldn't let the mysterious man's plan succeed, whatever it was, and since Leela was working with him, Eshe could not lose this duel.

 **E:6600/L:7200**

"I summon _Warrior Lady of the Wasteland_ and equip _Neo_ with the spell card _United We Stand_ , which means _Neo_ gains 800 attack for each face-up monster on my side of the field", Eshe snapped, and her _Neo the Magic Swordsman'_ s attack grew to a hefty 3300 points.

"I'll attack _Summoned Skull_ with _Neo_ and follow that up with a direct attack from my _Warrior Lady_!" she continued, watching sorely as Leela shouted in pain, the girl's hand flew up to clutch at her own shirt as the monster attacks bit a chunk out of her lifepoints.

As Eshe ended her turn, Leela huffed indignantly, drawing her card fiercely; her lips pursed as she scowled down at her cards - a dud draw, perhaps?

 **E:6600/L:5300**

"I'll set a monster in defense mode, and place a card face down", was all Leela said; Eshe squinted slightly, glancing to Atem as if he would know the identity of the cards her opponent had just set. He was watching Leela carefully, seemingly trying to deduce just that.

She didn't waste another moment, starting her turn off with a draw. She eyed the card she had just drawn; it was _Black Pendant_ , an equip card that would raise a monster's attack by 500. But who to equip it to? In the event that Leela had set _Magic Cylinder_ , it would be dangerous to raise _Neo_ 's points further and attack blindly; whereas if she equipped _Warrior Lady_ , that would bring her points up to 1600 and she'd feel more confident attacking Leela's face down monster. Then, if Leela's set card was _Magic Cylinder_ , then the resulting damage wouldn't be quite as severe.

Eshe grit her teeth, looking back at Téa with growing apprehension; she didn't have the time to be careful, she had to take the risk if it meant progressing the duel closer to its end.

"I'll equip _Black Pendant_ to my _Warrior Lady_ and attack your face down monster with her!" Eshe exclaimed, pointing a finger at the monster on Leela's field.

Leela smirked, her monster flipping face-up to reveal _Giant Soldier of Stone_ which had a solid 2000 defense points, easily overpowering Eshe's _Warrior Lady_.

Wincing through the 400 damage she received, Eshe grunted and pointed again, "Alright, _Neo_ , attack!"

"I activate my trap card, _Mirror Force!_ "

Eshe's jaw clenched as both of her monsters were sent to the graveyard; she had assumed that since Leela hadn't played the card on her previous attack, that it wouldn't be a problem for her second attack.

"Shit", Eshe hissed, "You still take 500 damage from the effect of _Black Pendant_ ", she stated, though the confidence had drained from her voice.

Feeling the sting of the subtraction in her lifepoints, Leela grunted, "Whatever. Is that the end of your turn?"

Eshe's gaze dropped to her hand, eyes flicking back and forth, "I'll set a card face down and end my turn."

 **E:6200/L:4800**

Immediately after Leela drew from her deck, Eshe declared the activation of her trap card, "This card lets me see your hand at the cost of 500 lifepoints!"

"Tch, fine."

Eshe groaned as the pain of losing lifepoints seared through her; her head was pounding with a furious ache and the muscles in her legs were beginning to sting. She looked up as Leela's cards were revealed to her, and her eyes were drawn quickly to a powerful monster in her hand, _Dark Magician_.

She couldn't let Leela summon that card, not even her ace monster was stronger than that, and the pain in her body made it hard to think of a possible combination of cards remaining in her deck that would have the power to stop it.

The _Dark Magician_ needed two tributes to summon, however, so she wouldn't be able to summon it this turn, thankfully.

"I summon _Gamma the Magnet Warrior_ to attack you directly!" Leela called, and Eshe cried out as 1500 lifepoints were taken from her. Raspy, laboured breaths left her mouth; she had taken a hard hit to her lifepoints all in just one turn, her counter having almost dropped to halfway.

It hurt bad, not just the pain of the monster's attack, but the suffering in knowing that Leela was bringing harm to her without hesitation or regret.

"Eshe", Atem spoke, just a few feet away behind the separating barrier, "Stay strong, believe in the heart of the cards. I know you can do this", his words were comforting, but Eshe's mind fought against her. She was beginning to think it would be impossible to hold out till the end of this duel with the pain she was experiencing right then and there, and her lifepoints hadn't yet dropped below the halfway point yet.

"Eshe, draw!" Yugi called. Téa was squirming uncomfortably in her confines, the sand filling the glass casing up to her chest, it had to be pressing on her diaphragm and making it hard for her to breath. Gritting her teeth, Eshe stared hard at her deck, now was not the time to feel claustrophobic on behalf of someone else.

 **E:4200/L:4800**

Her fingers landed on the top card of her deck, and she froze.

What if the card she drew was useless and unhelpful? She had no monsters in her hand, if she didn't draw one this turn, Leela had the potential to induce a whole lot more damage to her lifepoints.

Her hand trembled.

"Have faith in your deck, Eshe."

Atem's firm words strengthened her resolve; she looked to him, her eyes clouded with pain, and he offered her the smallest of smiles, nodding his head encouragingly.

Eshe drew, her eyes falling upon the card in her hand; an image of red and silver looked back at her. It was _Alector, Sovereign of Birds_ , and he was a six star monster, thus she was unable to normal summon him.

 _Alector_ , however, had a special ability.

"When my opponent has two or more monsters of the same attribute on the field, I can special summon _Alector_ from my hand!" Eshe declared, and her beloved monster arose, glowing among the darkness of the room.

 _Alector_ stared Leela down and the girl in question scowled at him, eyes dropping to briefly scan her cards, before returning to hold the monster's striking gaze.

" _Alector,_ attack _Gamma_!" The red-winged beast attacked mercilessly with one vicious swipe and Leela's _Magnet Warrior_ was sent abruptly to the graveyard, striking a dent into the girl's lifepoints.

Leela howled with pain, slumping over slightly as she heaved a shuddering breath, her dyed black hair falling messily over her green eyes while she fought to recover.

 **E:4200/L:3900**

" _Enough_! Eshe, why don't you just surrender!?" Leela hissed as she drew her next card, "That sand's getting a little too close for comfort, huh?"

The sand was up to Téa's collarbone; it wasn't long before she'd be unable to breathe, and she looked as though she was already having trouble taking in air. Eshe shook, anger boiling within her, "Do you think this is _funny!?_ You're playing with someone's life here!"

"No, of course I don't think it's funny. I don't _want_ Téa to be lost in the shadows forever, but this is the only way!" Leela hissed, slotting a spell card into her duel disk, "I play _Mask of the Accursed_ , a little card of my own that I've been dying to use, it equips to one of your monsters and leaves it unable to attack- but not only that! Every turn on _my_ standby phase, it deals 500 points of damage to you!"

Eshe's eyes widened as her _Alector_ became bound, constrained indefinitely until turn by turn, her lifepoints were doomed to fall to zero. She couldn't let this duel go on for much longer, she needed to win in her next couple of turns or she could kiss her memories of her friends goodbye.

"Now I'll play _Pot of Greed_ ", Leela paused to draw two cards, "and I'll summon _Alpha the Magnet Warrior_. Since your _Alector_ is still defending you, I'll place a card facedown and end my turn."

 **E:4200/L:3900**

Eshe's headache began to creep behind her eyes, she blinked hard a few times to dispel the fuzziness around her vision before drawing from her deck. Luckily, she'd drawn another monster with a good deal of attack.

"I summon _Dark Blade_ ", Eshe gasped out, looking between the _Alpha the Magnet Warrior_ and _Giant Soldier of Stone_ on Leela's side of the field, her mind was fuzzy and she could hardly think, but she managed to remember that _Giant Soldier's_ defenses were superior to her monster's attack, and she had to focus on dealing damage anyway, "and I'll… I'll attack your _Magnet Warrior_!"

"Ooooh, bad move, Eshe", Leela stated, revealing her trap card.

"Oh crap, it's _Magic Cylinder!_ " Joey cried.

"Oh shi-" Eshe breathed, quickly cutting off as her monster's own attack was directed back at her, a scream tearing from her throat. It was the strongest attacked she'd faced yet, a nefarious 1800 attack points ripped from her total at once; the power behind it sent her hurtling to the ground, the hard and uncomfortable flooring pressed solidly against her back.

"Esh- _Eshe_!" Atem cried, darting forwards out of reflex, his arm connected with the magical barrier and shadows flared immediately, pushing him back with a biting sting. Atem stumbled back, cradling his arm with a pained grunt before approaching again more cautiously, this time steering clear of the translucent barricade. "Eshe, are you okay!?"

Her body hurt all over and her muscles protested as she pulled herself up into a sitting position, unwilling whimpers leaving her mouth as she moved. She was not okay.

She reached blindly for the cards she had dropped at her feet, gathering them up quickly, there was no time to waste, she had to keep playing, Téa was running out of time.

"I _am_ sorry, Eshe", Leela actually looked apologetic over that last attack, "the last thing I want to do is cause you any harm, but as I said before, it's necessary."

"It's _not_ necessary! It's never _necessary_ to hurt your friends!" Atem roared, "Now do the right thing and _stop_ this duel!"

Eshe looked searchingly at her friend, with desperate eyes she implored the girl to dismiss the shadow element of the duel and redeem herself- there was _still_ time!

"I couldn't stop this duel if I wanted to", Leela answered, glaring Atem down, "I'm not holding the Puzzle, now am I?"

Atem gritted his teeth, turning to the figure that continued to loom above - he'd been silent the whole time, spectating quietly, his motives still unknown, "End this madness, now!" Atem yelled, and the cloaked man merely smiled. It was pointless trying to convince the fiend, he clearly didn't care whether harm came to innocent people.

"Is your turn over?" Leela asked boredly, and Eshe frowned, looking down at her remaining few cards. Well, she had the ability to minimize the damage she could potentially take on her next turn.

"I'll play _Fissure_ , which destroys the face-up monster on your side of the field with the least amount of attack", Eshe explained, her voice drained of energy.

 _Giant Soldier of Stone_ was destroyed, and Eshe signalled the end of her turn.

 **E:2400/L:3900**

After Leela drew, _Mask of the Accursed_ activated with her standby phase, forcefully robbing Eshe of 500 lifepoints. Eshe's legs wobbled beneath her and she breathed heavily, fighting off the nauseas feeling that was rising in her stomach.

"I play _Card Destruction_ ", Leela spoke, discarding the remaining two cards in her hand to draw the same amount from her deck, a sarcastic smirk grew on her face, "Snap, I'll play _Fissure_ too!"

 _Dark Blade_ was obliterated and sent to the graveyard and Eshe looked wearily to her _Alector,_ who, although was incapacitated, still provided a much needed defense for her.

Leela smirked, setting the last card in her hand down in the spell/trap card zone, "With that, I end my turn."

 **E:1900/L:3900**

Eshe swallowed, placing her fingers down on her deck, she lifted the card ever so slightly.

"I activate another one of my own cards! _Ring of Destruction_!" Leela exclaimed, and Eshe felt her blood run cold.

Her eyes dropped to her lifepoint counter, and then she looked helplessly to Atem, whose jaw dropped in shock, wide eyes full of terror.

"I attach my _Ring of Destruction_ to _Alpha the Magnet Warrior_ , destroying him and dealing us both damage equal to his life points!"

Eshe's mouth fell open, before she and Leela were both hit with 1400 points of damage; Eshe let out a cry, falling forwards to her knees, and she shook with confusion.

Looking up slowly, she glanced to her friends, who all looked relieved that she was still in the game, Atem had his mouth covered with his hand in an attempt to hide his flagrant emotions; Eshe turned back to Leela.

"Y-you didn't use it... on _Alector_?" Eshe asked quietly.

There was a beat of silence in which Leela's expression turned perplexing and she blinked down briefly at her duel disk before back up at Eshe, "Wait, I could've used it on your monster?"

Eshe sighed, feeling lethargic and drained, she glanced back at Atem, who looked just as emotionally exhausted. Leela's inexperience in dueling had saved her; if she had been facing someone who was more familiar with the cards, she would have lost all memory of her friends right there.

"Oh well, no matter. As soon as you end your turn and my turn begins, you'll lose your remaining life points and I'll be the winner!" Leela stated with a triumphant smirk.

"No…" Eshe whispered, her eyes falling to her lifepoint counter, which now displayed a mere 500 lifepoints. She had to win this turn, or it was all over.

She glanced up at Téa, noting the position of the sand that had very nearly reached her chin; the poor girl looked terrified.

 **E:500/L:2500**

Eshe looked down at the card she had drawn before Leela had activated her trap, she hadn't yet turned it over to see what it was, but the her fate rested with it.

"Stop delaying the inevitable, Eshe", Leela spoke, "there's no monster in your deck that has enough attack points to beat me now."

It was true, _Alector_ was her strongest monster with 2400 attack points, and he was a little tied up at that moment.

She stared hard down at her trembling hand, dread creeping like tendrils over her back, it was the moment of truth.

She flipped the card over, and stared.

Her friends looked on in tense silence, trying their best to glean meaning from Eshe's blank expression as she looked at the card in her hand.

Finally, Eshe showed some semblance of emotion, her eyes growing watery as she looked up to Leela, her expression pleading. "Leela, please tell me there's a way to reverse this memory wipe."

Leela smiled sadly, shaking her head, "Afraid not, Eshe."

Eshe's lips drew together, quivering against her will as her head tilted ever so gently in a nod, "Right…" her voice was less than a whisper. Tears fell down her cheeks as she held Leela's gaze.

"Then at least tell me why. Why do all of this?"

Leela sighed, "It really doesn't matter, Eshe. You'll forget soon enough."

"They have a right to know", Eshe looked to her friends, her friends who looked back helplessly, unable to do anything but wait and watch. Atem's fists were clenched, his eyes wide and piercing while he looked between the two.

Leela sighed again, shaking her head, "You know, Eshe, for someone who's usually so perceptive, you can be so blind sometimes."

Eshe said nothing, waiting for Leela to continue and clarify what she meant.

"I love you", Leela said.

Eshe blinked, eyes twitching in confusion, her mouth hung open as she blinked a few times, not quite discerning the words her roommate had just spoken, "Wha-"

"I've always loved you. I've loved you longer than _he_ has", Leela's gaze flickered to Atem, her eyes full of animosity, "I was always there for you. He wasn't. But you still chose him."

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Eshe's mouth fell open and closed in imitation of a fish; she found herself incapable of speaking.

Leela's voice rose in pitch as anger burned behind her eyes, "And what did he do? He went and killed himself for the sake of the world, and he left you _broken_ and _empty!_ I couldn't stand to see you like that!" Her eyes were glossy with unshed tears and her fists were shaking, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was clenching them.

Eshe glanced mutely to Atem, whose misty eyes were boring into the ground at his feet, his face full of unbridled guilt.

"...So that is why I'm doing this. Fuck this world, fuck your friends. You're the only person that matters to me. After I win this duel, everything can go back to how it was before _they_ intervened." Again, Leela regarded the group with chaotic fury; Eshe had never seen her so full of hatred.

All that left Eshe's mouth was a pitiful "Oh…" as she blinked through the tears that she couldn't restrain; she looked again to Téa who was running low on time, her neck arched up so that she could still breathe. Eshe delay further, she had to play her turn.

With a somber expression, Eshe's eyes dropped again to the card she had drawn, and suddenly it was stained with red. She blinked a few times fast, the unpleasant feeling of something hot running from her nose over her lips.

"Eshe?" Atem spoke, his voice strained and worrying.

"Your nose", Leela pointed out, her expression wavering, "It's bleeding."

So it was. This ruthless shadow game was really taking its toll on her; before it could affect her further, she slotted her card into the duel disk and declared her move.

"I play the spell card _Monster Reborn_."

Leela quirked an eyebrow, "What are you doing? You've got no monsters in your graveyard that can defeat me! Téa's got less than two minutes left, just _surrender_!"

With a tone devoid of emotion, which surprised herself, Eshe spoke, " _Monster Reborn_ allows me to revive a monster from either player's graveyard."

The card began to glow, forming the shape of a familiar monster.

"And I choose the _Dark Magician_."

Leela had carelessly discarded him through _Card Destruction_ on her last turn; it wasn't something Eshe had missed. Leela's face revealed shock and an intense fear, it was haunting to see such an expression from her, and especially given the circumstances.

The purple-clad wizard materialised on the field in all his glory; his intimidating, hard gaze staring Leela down, unblinking.

The surprise from the others was audible, Eshe was sure she heard Joey elatedly exclaim, "She's done it! She's won!"

"W-wait! Wait, Eshe, _don't do this to me!_ " Leela cried, "Please, don't! I don't want to forget you!" She begged unremittingly, her distraught sobs breaking up her speech.

Eshe swayed on her feet, her sight becoming blurred, " _Dark Magician_ …", the duel monster turned to look over his shoulder, waiting expectantly for her orders.

" _Eshe, please don't! I love you! I just wanted to be with you and have a normal life together!"_ Leela fell to her hands and knees, her face a blubbering mess, " _F-forgive me, please…_ "

Darkness swept around Eshe's peripheral vision, "...attack."

A blur of purple, a resounding scream, and then nothing.

The shadows abated, wisping away into the breeze, and before Eshe could hit the floor, she was safe in the warmth of Atem's arms.

 **E:500/L:0**

Eshe stirred to muffled voices and blurred movement in her vision- she couldn't have been unconscious long, had she even passed out? Atem's arms were still tight around her, but he was saying something of which Eshe could not fathom; his face was turned away from her so she assumed he was talking to one of the others in the room.

The pain in her head was unyielding, and left her dazed and confused; her face with still wet from her bleeding nose, she needed to stop the flow of blood. A weak groan left her mouth as she pawed blindly over her face to pinch the bridge of her nose, the movement drew Atem's attention and he squeezed her reassuringly.

Eshe lifted her head, looking past Atem's face to where Téa knelt on the dusty ground, Yugi at her side with his hands on her shoulders to keep her steady; the dampening of her hearing came suddenly to an end as the muffled background voices grew sharper and more clear.

"You gonna come down here and face us like a man!?" Joey yelled, and Eshe craned her neck to observe the figure above, whose mouth was set in a thin line.

"Come down here you coward!" Tristan taunted, and after a moment there was a strange disturbance in the air and what looked to be a whirling portal coalesced into existence beside him. Wordlessly, the man turned and stepped into the aperture, disappearing from the room as it dissipated into nothing.

Eshe would've found the bewildered expressions on her friend's faces comical if it wasn't for the situation at hand, and as her gaze fell once again the ground level, she caught sight of Leela, who was lying unmoving on the harsh concrete floor.

"Leela…?" Eshe whispered, moving the pull herself up.

"Eshe, just stay still", Atem told her, his hold growing more secure, and Eshe struggled against him, pushing forwards.

"She's… hurt…" Her strength gave out and fell limp against Atem, a soft whimper leaving her lips, "Call an ambulance… please…"

* * *

After spending two hours sitting at the bedside of an unconscious girl, it became very clear to Eshe why people tended to bring flowers to hospital rooms. Despite the everlasting creativeness of the mind, it was instilled in human nature to make infirmaries achromatic and bland; everything white, shiny and metallic. When Eshe had woken up in her hospital room after the car accident, the white walls and grey flooring had left her feeling calm and peaceful when she had known that all she had suffered was a little bruising.

But now, the continuous beeping of the heart monitor by the bed made her feel sick; the soft material of the chair was remarkable itchy against her skin, and the forgettable, nondescript surroundings of the room made her feel hopeless.

Was a little bit of colour too much to ask?

Leela was motionless on the bed, save for the soft rise and fall of her chest while she breathed.

Eshe had spent a long while answering a multitude of redundant questions from the doctors and nurses; there was only one thing she could tell them all, no matter how close or far it was to the truth.

 _We were dueling. I won. She collapsed._

It wasn't lying. It was just withholding certain portions of information that Eshe was sure the doctors didn't _need_ to know. How crazy would she have sounded? _A mysterious magical villain induced a shadow game that relieved my friend of all her memories of me. Can you fix it, doc?_

Eshe looked down at her hands resting in her lap, her thumbs twiddling in apprehension, and spotted her blood-stained shirt. It was amusing how nasty a little nosebleed could be; the blood flow had stopped relatively quickly, and yet, Eshe looked as though she'd been caught in the middle of a massacre.

The smell of iron continued to assault her nostrils; at least it blocked out the smell of cleaning fluid and chemicals.

She wasn't sure why she was still sitting there; the nurse had solemnly informed her that Leela was in an unexplained coma and probably wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Eshe knew she should be bawling her eyes out over her friend's incapacitated state, but she couldn't bring herself to cry.

Eshe was distraught, but she was also tired and confused over several things. Leela's confession of love still whirled through her mind, resonating endlessly; Leela had been _in love_ with her, in both her past life and this one, and she had never _realised_. _She_ had never realised. The girl who could see through almost everyone's lies had been blind to her best friends feelings about her.

Her head hurt, and she reached up to rub her temples, massaging with the hope of alleviating the pounding pain in her forehead.

The door opened gently and Eshe looked up to the nurse who had poked her head into the room, "Your friend's parents have been notified of her incident and will be arriving as soon as possible."

Eshe nodded silently, looking back to the girl in the bed. It would be good for Leela to be surrounded by her loved ones.

The nurse lingered for a while, watching Eshe closely, before softly speaking again, "You look like you could do with some rest. It's okay if you want to go home and get some sleep; you can leave your phone number with us and we'll contact you if there's any change in Leela's condition."

Eshe didn't answer immediately, and the nurse gave her time to think about it, standing patiently in the doorway while she made her mind up.

"...Yeah… that's probably… a good idea", Eshe murmured quietly, and with one lasting look at Leela, Eshe turned and padded towards the door.

The hallway outside yielded about as much personality as the patient's room, a perpetual corridor of beige tiles and indistinguishable doors- really, a splash of blue could do wonders for this place- and at the end of the passageway was the waiting room.

The room was thankfully quiet, occupied by only a few other people and the gang, who were all looking quite exhausted; she didn't blame them, it was coming close to midnight after all. They had yet to notice her presence across the entranceway, so she took the moment to mutely inspect them.

Joey and Tristan were slumped ludicrously in their seats in positions that didn't look at all comfortable, their eyes closed and their mouths hanging open; Eshe was surprised they weren't snoring like a freight train.

Téa was looking well, she'd had something to eat and something to drink and wasn't looking as pale as she had been back in the warehouse; she looked about as tired as Eshe felt.

Yugi was leaning forward, resting his elbow on his knee and his cheek in his palm, blinking his eyes slowly as he fought off the creeping coils of sleep; his hair was mussed and pointed out in even more directions than usual.

Atem sat back in his chair, his head tilted forwards while his eyes bored into his duel monster cards that he held securely in his hands; his eyebrows were knitted and his face was etched with worry.

All of her friends had stayed patiently for two hours in the waiting room while she had sat wearily by Leela's bedside; she hadn't asked them to stay, but they had insisted, because they wanted to be there to support Eshe. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Eshe stepped further into the room, the movement drawing the attention of Atem first.

His quickness to rise out of his seat caused the others to straighten up and follow his gaze; Eshe walked towards them, ignoring the stares of other people in the room who were looking concernedly at her blood-stained clothes.

"How is she?" Atem asked first, his voice quiet and gentle, and Eshe's silence was enough of an answer, and he continued to inquire "How are you?"

"My head hurts and I wish this had never happened", Eshe spoke tonelessly, and Atem gave a rueful nod. She sighed, and reiterated, "I'm fine. Tired."

"It's been a long day", Yugi murmured, "We could all do with some sleep, I think."

Eshe nodded, blowing a mirthless huff of a laugh from her nose; that was an understatement, she felt like she could sleep for a week straight at this point.

An extended lull ensued, which was broken when Eshe glanced down at the deck in Atem's hand, "Do you have all your cards?"

Atem looked to his cards again, eyeing the monster on the top of the deck, the _Dark Magician_ , and he shook his head gravely, "The God cards are missing."

"We think that jerk still has them", Joey spoke up, "No idea what he's planning to use them for, but it can't be good…"

Eshe frowned, steering her thoughts away from the maniac who had banished her friend's memories and towards something else, "Leela's parents are flying in from California on the next flight over", she informed them, "At least when she wakes up, she'll be greeted with someone she actually _remembers_."

Her words came out unintentionally spiteful and Atem regarded her with a look of remorse, "I'm so sorry, Eshe."

Eshe shook her head, "It's not your fault…" she whispered, brushing his apology away, "Do you think that… Leela was being truthful when she said it's irreversible?" Caught up in the horror of what had been happening, she had been unable to determine whether or not Leela was lying through her teeth.

Atem shrugged weakly, "I don't know."

Well, ' _I don't know_ ' was still better than ' _Yep, she's forgotten you forever._ '

Eshe looked to the others briefly, offering a spiritless smile, "You're all kind for waiting around, but I'm going home now."

Yugi stood quickly, "You're welcome to come and stay at the Game shop if-"

"I want to be alone", Eshe stated stiffly, cutting the boy's invitation short. Yugi frowned and nodded, and it made Eshe feel awful.

"You shouldn't be alone", Atem quarreled.

"I want to be alone", she repeated, locking eyes with the stubborn boy, her tone left no room for argument and Atem fell silent, though his expression remained rigid.

"How are you getting home?" Tristan asked curiously.

"I'll get a taxi", Eshe answered with a shrug, "I'll… see you all…" she trailed off, stepping backwards slowly, and turned to leave.

Atem grabbed her arm, "Eshe-"

"I'll be fine", Eshe said.

" _Eshe_ ", his hold was steadfast and his tone resolute, he seemed entirely unwilling to let her go, until-

"Atem, let her go", Téa spoke up, her tone soft and firm all at once, "She will be fine, let her have some time alone."

Slowly, to Eshe's surprise, Atem released his hold on her, and she knew she would have to thank Téa later for managing to convince him with the tone of a strict parent, "I'll call if there's trouble."

With a nod to them all, Eshe turned and ambled apathetically out of the room.

* * *

An endless train of thoughts trundled through Eshe's mind as she stepped into the entryway of her apartment that was now missing one occupant; she tripped through the door and closed it shut, double-locking it as an afterthought to deter any unwanted intruders from attempting to force their way into the home.

It was past midnight, but Eshe couldn't think of falling asleep before taking a much-needed shower. She smelt of sweat, blood and dust; her hair was a mess and her body felt gross, she just wanted to be clean.

Entering the bathroom, Eshe began to discard her various blood-soaked clothes, stopping as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her face was sallow, eyes sunken in from lack of sleep and an overload of stress; there were still remnants of dried blood around her mouth and chin where she had failed to clean herself up accordingly, and her hair was full of grease and dirt.

She had never looked like more of a mess in her entire life, and she had been in a _car accident_ just over a week ago.

Stepping into the shower, Eshe turned on the harsh spray and breathed a sigh of relief as the hot water soothed her aching muscles; she let her hair fall and become matted to her face and stood like that for a long while before she thought to grab the shower gel and actually work to clean herself up.

A little while later, she found herself lying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling completely and utterly awake; her thoughts were far too wild for her to actually clear her mind and drift off, too many things standing out, too many loose ends and far too many questions than answers.

After a solid hour of just lying in bed motionless, Eshe plucked her phone off of the nightstand and hit the internet app; there were a few things she needed to know.

Bringing up a search engine, she typed in two words, ' _Pharaoh Atem_ '.

No results were returned, it seemed the internet was unaware of that combination of search terms.

After another moment, she searched for ' _Millennium Puzzle_ '.

This time, Eshe was greeted by an article detailing the recovery of the Millennium Puzzle from the tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh by one Solomon Muto.

' _Nameless Pharaoh?_ ' the phrase stuck in her head, only birthing more questions.

After a series of mindless link-clicking, Eshe found herself on another article page from the Domino museum about an exhibit from two years prior; she enlarged the accompanying image which depicted a stone tablet.

 _The Tablet of Lost Memories_ , as it was so eloquently named, portrayed two very familiar characters, there was no doubt in her mind that she was looking at an Ancient Egyptian duel between Atem and Seto Kaiba- well, _Priest Seto_ , perhaps.

Eshe placed her phone down on the nightstand and reevaluated everything that she had witnessed that day.

This was real. This was _really_ real.

The realisation seemed to hit her like a truck, and she rolled over to shove her face into the pillow that still held remnants of Atem's scent, and cried hard.

* * *

It was almost midday by the time grandpa Muto shuffled into the living room to awaken all of the kids passed out on the floor amongst several pillows and blankets; the elderly man unabashedly clapped his hands to startle them awake, accompanied with a yell of "You kids are sleeping your Sunday away! Wake up and do something productive!"

The group responded with a synchronised groan, and Yugi pulled his face out of his pillow to murmur, "Grandpa, we didn't get to sleep until late…"

"Well you kids shouldn't have been out past midnight!" Grandpa contended with a knowing smile, before padding back through the door that led to the Game shop. The shop wasn't open today, but grandpa had to check some stock.

Yugi sighed, head dropping back into his pillow before a nudge to his side brought his attention to Tristan who was slumped over the couch sloppily, "You didn't tell him about anything that happened?" the brown-haired boy asked.

Shaking his head, Yugi answered, "No… I didn't wanna worry him. He thinks all this shadow game business is long dealt with…"

"Probably for the best, don't wanna give the old guy a heart attack", Joey snickered jokingly from his blanket burrito.

Yugi couldn't summon the energy to force a smile, not after the emotional rollercoaster of last night; he looked to Téa, whose mood had improved significantly after a long night's sleep, colour had returned to her previously pale face and the shine in her eyes was back where it belonged.

After Eshe had left the hospital last night, the group had unanimously decided to head back to the Game shop and crash there; nobody except Eshe wanted to be alone after the wild events that had occurred in the warehouse the previous evening. The whole time, grandpa had thought they were over at one of other kid's houses, safe and sound.

Atem hadn't said much following Eshe's departure from the hospital, and Yugi didn't blame him; he could tell that the other boy was worried. Worried about this apparent new evil they were facing, worried about Eshe's well-being while she was alone in her apartment, and worried about how many days still remained for them to unlock the girl's missing memories.

Twenty-seven days were left; now that Eshe was mostly aware of what was going on, perhaps it would be easier to find a way to bring around the memories of her past self.

Yugi pulled himself to his feet and stretched, letting out a loud yawn as his body woke up, "I think we could all use a good shower", he commented as he looked across the group, still clothed in yesterday's attire, covered with patches of dust and dirt.

"We don't have any clean clothes though", Téa sighed, her lips forming a big pout as she looked down at herself with an expression of mild disgust.

"Ah…" Yugi mumbled bashfully, "I suppose you guys are gonna want to head home and clean up then?"

Joey paused to sniff his armpits, before letting out an overdramatic noise of aversion, " _Yeah_ , that probably would be for the best", he snorted.

The gang dispersed, quickly cleaning up the mess of pillows scattered across the floor before Tristan, Joey and Téa left to head back to their respective homes. Yugi hopped into the shower first and Atem thereafter while the younger Muto proceeded to make some buttered toast for the two of them, as they'd slept through breakfast.

The two ate in relative silence until the reticence drove Yugi mad, "Joey texted me while you were showering, he says he and the others are gonna get some lunch and then come back."

Atem paused his chewing to nod in response, but that was pretty much all Yugi got; the younger boy sighed, not entirely overjoyed to see his friend so quiet.

"Are you alright?" Yugi asked, knowing the answer was more complicated than just 'yes' or 'no'.

Atem was quiet for another moment, "...Do you think Eshe's alright?"

"I'm sure she's fine, Atem, she did take a taxi home, so-"

"No, I mean, do you think she's _alright_?"

Yugi realised the other boy was referring to how delicate Eshe's mental had seemed when she left the hospital last night; in all honesty, Yugi thought the girl was more or less on the cusp of a breakdown, which was expected given the circumstances. Her best friend had betrayed her and forgotten her all in one night, it couldn't have been a good feeling.

"I think she just needs some space, like she said", Yugi replied carefully, and Atem stared down at his toast with a troubled look.

"I can't stop thinking about what Leela said", Atem suddenly spoke.

"What's that?"

"After I died, it left Eshe broken and empty…" sorrow filled his eyes, "I never wanted to hurt her-"

"Atem, what happened was not your fault. You know that- you did what you had to do. You saved the _world_ , it was the right thing to do", Yugi said quickly, unwilling to let Atem blame himself for even one more moment, "In saving the world, you saved her life."

"Did I?" Atem whispered bitterly, "Because from what we've learnt, she didn't live very long after."

Despite living in separate bodies for the last two months, Yugi could still feel the raw emotions coming off of Atem in waves, an incalculable mesh of pain, regret, suffering and anger.

With a calm seriousness, Yugi stated, "That was beyond your control, there is nothing you could have done. That was the past, Atem, we need to focus on the present. Eshe is alive _now_."

Locking his gaze with Atem's deep purple eyes, Yugi spotted the moment his words sunk in, and the knit of the tanned boy's eyebrows loosened into a softer expression; Atem nodded, and resumed eating his toast.

Their friends rejoined them at two o'clock, all freshened up, clean and no longer starving; deciding to take a moment to relax and chill out after such an eerie experience, Joey and Tristan broke out the video games as they tended to do when hanging out at Yugi's house, and happily powered up a game of competitive Tetris.

For a while, it was like everything was back to normal, Yugi and Téa took turns playing when it got a little too heated between the other boys, but Atem sat quietly by himself, paying little attention to the video game and more attention to his phone.

He wanted so desperately to call Eshe and check whether she was okay, but he didn't want to aggravate her further by not giving her the space she needed to think things through; she'd told him she would call if there was trouble and he didn't quite know if it was a good thing that she hadn't yet tried to contact him.

"Agh, come on! Am I on hard mode or somethin'!?" Joey snapped as he glared up at the screen, showing his struggle to line up a row of Tetris pieces advantageously.

"We're both playing on normal mode- what, is it too much for you?" Tristan snickered teasingly and Joey growled in response.

"The game is giving you all the easy pieces and I'm getting all the hard pieces!"

"It's giving us the _same_ pieces, man. Just cause you suck at Tetris-"

" _Take that back, Tristan!_ "

Before Joey could grab at the brown-haired boy's shirt collar to shake him mindlessly, a voice interrupted, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, "Nice to see a little love between friends."

"Wha- Eshe!" Joey exclaimed, his salty mood dissolving at the sight of the girl leaning against the doorway.

"How'd ya get in?" Tristan inquired, a wide smile growing on his face.

Atem had shot to his feet as she'd made herself known, relief evident on his face. Eshe smiled at the boys, "Grandpa let me in, obviously. I didn't break in if that's what you're thinking!"

Tristan snorted in response while Téa jumped up from her place on the floor, immediately opening her arms as invitation for a hug; Eshe took it gladfully, embracing the girl tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alright", Téa spoke happily, her voice choked up with emotion.

"I'm so glad _you're_ alright", Eshe responded, her anxiety remedied by the girl's curing grin.

"Eshe, you look a whole lot better than you did last night", Yugi stated, a small smile on his lips.

Releasing Téa from the crushing hold, Eshe chuckled slightly, "It's pretty amazing what an eleven hour nap can do for a person."

At last, Eshe turned to Atem, her face becoming a little more reserved, and they stared at each other wordlessly for a long while, the tension in the room growing due to the rising anticipation of the others. Just as Atem opened his mouth to cut into the noiselessness, Eshe quickly spoke.

"Three thousand years ago, you sacrificed your life to save the world", she stated, and paused to await Atem's response. He blinked confusedly a few times, unsure if she was wording it as a question or not, before nodding in confirmation.

"You died in my arms", Eshe continued, her voice softer.

Atem nodded again gently, adopting a forlorn expression.

"What were the last words you said to me? Do you remember?" Eshe asked, and subconsciously held her breath; it was absurd for her to still retain doubts, but she knew that if he answered this correctly, she would trust him again without question.

Blocking out the heavy gaze from his friends, Atem's mouth fell open, his eyes flicking briefly up and to the left before returning, clear and definitive to Eshe's gaze, "I told you never to take the necklace off."

Eshe released her breath, a rush of alleviation flooding through her and removing all hesitance and distrust; "Atem… start from the beginning. Tell me everything."

And he did.

He began with an explanation for why he was alive three-thousand years after his death, "Using my name as the key, I locked away a terrible force, along with my soul in the Millennium Puzzle, and wiped my memories so that my name could not be recovered by those with evil intentions. For three-thousand years, I resided within the Puzzle, until Yugi solved it and pieced it back together, freeing my spirit."

Eshe blinked, mouth hanging open, " _Wait_ , you mean you and Yugi aren't even brothers?"

Atem looked sheepish, "Ahh… no, we're not _really_ brothers, but-"

"We might as well be", Yugi pointed out with a grin.

"I… I would never have guessed", Eshe seemed a little thrown off by the realisation, but quickly encouraged the boy to continue his explanation.

"Well, ah, when Yugi solved the Puzzle, my soul connected with his and we both inhabited one body. We were able to switch out our consciousnesses at will, I usually took over when I felt that Yugi or our friends were in danger", the tanned boy elucidated, "Which was usually when we were dueling."

Eshe looked between Atem and Yugi with a look of awe on her face, it was a while before she found her voice, "You mean, all those duels Yugi was in… _you_ were there too?"

Atem nodded, and Eshe let out an unexpected howl of laughter that hid an underlying nervousness, startling everyone in the room.

"What is it? What's so funny?" Joey asked dumbly, and Eshe covered her quickly pinkening face with her hands.

"Just… loads of things are starting to make a lot of sense now… that's all", Eshe giggled out, trying to shake the anxious laughter out of her system. All the televised duels she had watched where Yugi always seemed so steadfast and roaringly confident as he took out his opponents without mercy - it was partially, if not mostly, Atem.

"K-keep going…" Eshe stuttered as she composed herself again.

"...We've faced a lot of powerful foes over the two years we've been together; Maximillion Pegasus was one of them. He was in possession of one of the seven Millennium Items - the Millennium Eye, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters, was one of these big baddies that you guys dueled?" Eshe breathed, she remembered the week she'd met them all, they had briefly mentioned having to duel against dangerous individuals, "That's crazy!"

"It's true", Tristan exclaimed, "He took grandpa's soul!"

Eshe bristled slightly, her face growing a little pale, "What!? Is he still… up to no good?"

"He was mostly corrupted by the Millennium Eye's influence and has since redeemed himself", Yugi assured her, to which she let out a breath of relief.

"We faced more frightening adversaries. During Battle City, we fought Marik", Atem continued, "He was also in possession of one of the items. The Millennium Rod; he used it to take control of people and make them do his bidding."

Eshe frowned, grinding her teeth slightly, "I… remember watching the duels… I thought the guy was just insane, I didn't realise he was so dangerous…"

"Oh, and don't even get us _started_ on Dartz and the Leviathan", Joey inputted exasperatedly, "I would've said he was the scariest one we've faced if it wasn't for Bakura-"

"Bakura?" Eshe repeated, her eyes growing wide, "You mean the boy we met at Kaibaland? He was a bad guy? But he seemed so… candy-coated and delightful!"

Téa gave an apologetic smile, "Oh, Bakura is very sweet- we're talking about the _other_ Bakura."

"... _Other Bakura?_ " Eshe abruptly recalled the scary being from her dream on the day of Atem's coronation, the one who had summoned the terrifying monster, Diabound, right there in the throne room.

"The spirit of the Millennium Ring", Atem clarified, his eyes growing somewhat dark as he spoke, "He was the worst of all… completely vile. He had tried to resurrect Zorc once before - an evil God of extraordinary power - that is the being I locked away. The spirit of the Millennium Ring would frequently possess Bakura's body and do terrible things- he almost succeeded in resurrecting Zorc this time, but…"

As Atem trailed off, Eshe watched his lips form a fond smile, "...but?"

"But together, my friends and I came together and overpowered him. We won, and we saved the world yet again."

It was intriguing to listen to Atem talk about the endeavours of him and his friends; it was incredible how much they had all been through, and it was clear that altogether they held a bond of friendship that it seemed could never be severed.

A thought occurred to Eshe, "Do you think… this mysterious guy Leela was working with… do you think it could be the _other_ Bakura?"

Atem shook his head, "No, the spirit of the Millennium Ring is gone forever. There's no way he could have returned again."

"Mm…" Eshe murmured, "So… what happened after you beat Zorc for a second time?"

Atem looked from Eshe to his friends and back, "After defeating Zorc, I had my memories back, and we went to the Valley of the Kings where Yugi and I faced each other in a Ceremonial Duel to determine my fate. If I were to lose the duel, I could travel to the afterlife for eternal rest, but if _Yugi_ lost, my spirit was to live on in the Puzzle indefinitely."

At this, Eshe frowned, something didn't add up, "Well, what happened? You're still here… but you're not in the Puzzle. Did you draw?" She motioned to Atem's very much solid flesh-and-blood body, "Was this like a compromise?"

Atem chuckled, shaking his head, "Yugi won", his gaze lifted to the boy who sat across the room smiling at him, and Eshe didn't miss the look of unbridled pride in the deep purple eyes. It was obvious that Atem was unbelievably proud of Yugi, and the look they shared brought warmth to Eshe's heart - she still couldn't _believe_ that they weren't brothers.

"So why didn't you go to the afterlife?" Eshe spoke in curious confusion.

Atem looked back at Eshe, an odd look in his eyes, and he spoke, "Because you weren't there."

Eshe blinked, "I… I don't understand."

"Everyone else from our past existed in the afterlife, but you were the only one not there, and I didn't know why. Osiris came forth and told us that your reincarnation was walking the Earth-"

"Hold on. Osiris?"

Atem blinked, "Yes, Osiris, the Egyptian God."

"The Egyptian God", Eshe repeated, " _The_ Egyptian God? Like the actual Egyptian God!?"

"Surprise", Yugi stated with a grin, holding out his hands in a 'ta-da' motion.

"The Egyptian Gods are real? Are you joking?"

"No, of course not", Atem established with a shadow of a pout on his face.

" _Holy sh-_...Uhh, I mean… _wow…_ ", Eshe stammered, "Sh-should I start worshipping the Egyptian Gods now or something? I don't wanna go to Hell- wait, did the Egyptians believe in Hell? I'm confused and a little bit afraid."

Atem looked extremely amused by her ramblings, as did their friends, and he quickly put her mind at bay, "You have nothing to fear, Eshe. The Gods are more compassionate than you think."

Eshe blushed bright red from her wild assumptions, hiding her embarrassment as she cleared her throat, "So, uhm, what did Osiris say?"

Atem paused as he opened his mouth to respond, all eyes in the room falling on him, and his gaze flickered quickly between the others before he answered, "Osiris said… that your reincarnation was walking the Earth… and he allowed me to have my body back so that I could find you and unlock your memories..."

For a moment, he looked like he had more to say, but he closed his mouth and said no more. Eshe nodded slightly, "Wow… how long did it take you to find me?"

"Um…" Atem thought about it for a moment, "Four days."

Eshe hadn't been expecting that, "Four days!? Osiris simply told you I could be anywhere on Earth and then you found me four days later. That's… really… highly implausible. How did you do that?"

With a slight shrug, Atem smiled, "Maybe it was fate."

She didn't know why, but the prospect made her blush; could it be that she had subconsciously remembered and recognised Atem in the many duels she had watched of Yugi and his opponents, and that some invisible force was guiding her back to him - it _was_ her desire to meet Yugi that brought her to Domino City in the first place. She found herself able to entertain the idea that it was entirely possible, after all, she'd just learnt about the existence of the Egyptian Gods, it wasn't too much more of a stretch to believe that certain elements of one's destiny were predetermined.

Like, for example, the series of events that led to Eshe being born again in the perfect time frame for her to exist at the exact moment Yugi solved the Millennium Puzzle and brought Atem back to the world of the living.

Eshe heard Joey clear his throat, and realised with a start that she had been staring at Atem for a long while without saying or doing anything; her face heated up again and she looked shyly down at her hands which were intertwined in her lap.

"Hey, Eshe… I wanted to suggest something", Yugi spoke up suddenly, "I know, given the circumstances, it might be a bit lonely in your apartment now, and that man is still out there up to no good- well, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to stay with us here? Until everything is… you know… figured out?"

Atem seemed very in favour of the idea, nodding enthusiastically as he looked to Eshe for her answer, and she smiled nervously.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude, would your grandpa be okay with it?" Eshe asked hesitantly, and Yugi's smile widened.

"Absolutely! Grandpa knows how important it is that we restore your missing memories of the past- he knows some things, but he isn't aware of what happened last night… but, what I'm saying is he'd be happy to welcome you here!" Yugi seemed very confident about his words.

"If you're sure… then maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea", Eshe responded with a thankful smile; she had come to a realisation this morning that being alone with her thoughts only led her to think terrible things. Being around people, her friends in particular, had become far more comforting that isolating herself.

"Alright! This makes it even easier for us to all hang out together!" Tristan exclaimed.

"This calls for a movie marathon afternoon, I think", Joey suggested with a twinkle in his eyes, "How about Jurassic Park?"

"Sounds good to me!" Tristan agreed, offering a high five. The two boy's hands clapped together and they hopped up, racing out of the room to bound down the stairs shouting something about setting up the bean bags and snacks.

"How do they have so much energy after yesterday?" Téa wondered in exasperation, drawing a laugh from Yugi.

"They do love their movie marathons", the boy remarked, "Wanna go join them?"

Eshe raised a suspicious eyebrow at Yugi's tone of voice; it seemed teasing and playful all of a sudden.

"Yes, I think we should", Téa replied, strangely robotically as the two stood up to follow the boys from the room. Téa's wink to Eshe told her everything she needed to know. Oooooh, they were leaving Atem and Eshe together for a little _alone_ time and trying to be subtle about it.

They had never been less subtle in their lives.

Eshe turned shyly back to Atem who was smiling down at the floor, "Hey", she whispered, drawing his attention. His eyes were happy, perhaps the happiest she'd seen them in a while; it must've felt great for him to get so much off of his chest after having to keep it all a big secret - for necessary reasons, she understood now.

She shuffled closer to him from her spot on the side of the bed, and encircled him with her arms, "Atem… I'm so sorry I called you manipulative before. You're not manipulative- I was just scared and confused and I didn't mean it-"

"It's alright, Eshe", Atem assured her gently, holding her close, the warmth of his chest pressing against her, "I understand."

It felt good to be in his arms again, after the last 24 hours, a good hug was certainly welcomed; as she breathed his ever-familiar scent, she found herself growing emotional.

"Atem", she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You were alone in the Puzzle for three-thousand years? No sunlight, no one to talk to, and no memories of who you were?"

She heard Atem sigh softly, a puff of air brushing her ear, "...Yeah."

Blinking back tears, Eshe sniffled, "That must have been _awful_."

Her arms tightened around him, offering all the comfort she could provide, because Atem had suffered through a nightmare scenario that lasted three millennia; he'd committed the most selfless act anyone could, and he'd promptly been thrown head-first into what Eshe could only imagine was a horrific ordeal.

She didn't want to let him go.

* * *

 **Notes: So proud of this chapter. Also, it's my birthday today and I just had to get this chapter out today, I've done nothing but work on this today- but it's okay cause I had loads of fun finishing it off! I worked VERY hard on this one and the best birthday present ever would be a wonderful review from everyone who read this! Thank you so much!**


	25. There's An Endless Road To Rediscover

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-Four: There's An Endless Road To Rediscover

When Yugi approached his grandfather about the possibility of Eshe staying with them at the Game Shop for a few weeks, Mr. Muto was more than happy to accommodate her given the circumstances. The shadow game fiasco was being kept a secret, there was no reason to worry the old man about the safety of an entire group of children, so they'd merely enforced the importance of recovering Eshe's memories and Mr. Muto had nodded his head with a considerate smile.

"Of course you can stay with us, Eshe. There's plenty of room in- Oh", Grandpa's smile fell and he reached a hand up to scratch his beard.

"Hm? What's wrong grandpa?" Yugi asked, his face growing curious at his grandfather's pause.

"Well, I was going to suggest Eshe stay in the guest room, but Atem is already using it", Grandpa's eyes darted to the tanned boy, who shared a look with Eshe briefly.

"Well, I- I don't mind sharing", Atem expressed with a hint of a smirk on his face; the sternly raised eyebrow that grandpa proceeded to give him wiped the sly smile from the boy's face and he immediately looked bashful.

"There will be _no_ funny business under my roof!" Grandpa reprimanded, wagging a finger in Atem's blushing face.

"No, I- I didn't mean-" the tanned boy stuttered, and from beside him Eshe facepalmed, her own cheeks turning pink at what Mr. Muto was implying.

"No funny business, understood?" Grandpa snapped, eyeing Atem closely.

"Understood, grandpa!" Atem confirmed, his hand moving to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment; he eyed the floor to avoid the gaze of the rest of the group who were scattered around the living room and probably found the situation extremely amusing.

"Good", Grandpa stated, before his smile returned and he addressed Eshe, "I'm sure I have an inflatable bed in a cupboard somewhere- you're more than welcome to set that up on the guest room floor. But as I said before-"

"No funny business, got it", Eshe affirmed with a sheepish grin.

Grandpa nodded his head, "Very good, I'll retrieve that inflatable bed for you."

The elderly man padded off down the hall in search of the item and Eshe glanced at Atem out of the corner of her eye, entertained by the lingering redness on his face; from the corner of the room Joey let out a snort as he fought to contain his laughter, which abruptly set off the others into fits of giggles.

" _Well, I don't mind sharing_ ", Joey mocked with his best impression of Atem, and the boy in question sent him an indignant look as the others laughed even harder.

"Knock it off", Atem mumbled, and Eshe bit her lip to hide her grin; watching the boy become increasingly more flustered really was quite a treat.

Eshe found delight in observing and picking out each tiny action that the boy carried out involuntarily, giving away his displeasure at being laughed at. The way he tensed slightly and glared at the ground below his feet, the flush on his face and almost imperceptive way he chewed the inside of his cheek.

It made her want to kiss those adorably pouty lips.

She knew for a fact, however, that Atem was a little uncomfortable with kissing her in front of the group, probably due to how much they loved to tease, so she decided to hold off for now and instead save that thought for later.

Given that Eshe was now going to be staying at the Muto home, it was necessary for her to collect some of her own belongings, including a few fresh changes of clothing, and so the group decided to walk with her to her apartment building in order to help carry everything she needed - and of course, so that if _Mr. Bad Guy_ was lurking nearby, it'd be a lot harder for him to try anything.

By the time they had returned to the Game shop, it was nearing seven o'clock in the evening; the group helped her carry her few bags into the house before declaring they were going to head home.

"Well, we're off now", Tristan stated, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Yep", Joey confirmed, before turning to smirk teasingly at Atem and Eshe, "you two kids have fun tonight!"

Eshe rolled her eyes at the blond while Atem crossed his arms and glared, exasperated with the other boy's suggestiveness; Joey snorted at their expressions and put his hands up in front of him defensively.

"I'm just kidding!" the blond laughed while Atem shook his head, pretending to be offended.

Téa looked to Eshe, the two of them sharing an amused expression at both of the boy's antics while Yugi and Tristan snickered at the exchange.

"Anyway", Téa spoke, "we'll have to hang out again sometime next week."

"Sure!" Yugi responded, a delighted smile on his face, and turned to the rest of the group, "Maybe we could go to the arcade or something?"

Eshe nodded, "Sounds good, I need a little normality after yesterday…"

"Sweet, Joey and I are gonna walk back with Téa", Tristan paused to crack his knuckles, "We got each other's backs! Ain't nobody gonna sneak up on us."

A serious look passed over Atem's face and he spoke gravely, "Please be careful, all of you."

"Hey, don't worry, man. We'll be fine", Joey gave the boy a thumbs up, "See ya soon!"

Eshe watched their backs as the three friends left the Game shop; her anxiety bubbling in her stomach as they disappeared around the corner; she hoped they would be safe.

* * *

Stepping into Atem's room once again, Eshe halted and eyed the floor, which was still littered with various pieces of clothing and Duel Monster cards; she turned to Atem with an expectant look and a raised eyebrow and the boy blinked in confusion behind her, wondering why she'd stopped short of walking in.

"What's wrong?" he asked curiously.

Eshe smirked, "I know you were pharaoh back in Ancient Egypt, but that's no excuse for a messy room."

Surprisingly, he turned bright red, his eyes falling to the disorderly carpet; pouting gently, he moved to begin picking up a few stray pieces of clothing, evoking a slight giggle from Eshe. She had expected him to shrug off the clutter like it was no big deal.

"Hey, you don't have to clean it right now. We can do it tomorrow, together", Eshe offered, and Atem smiled slightly, moving to fold the clothes he had already picked up so that he could place them in their drawers.

"It must've been convenient to have servants doing that for you", Eshe spoke absent-mindedly with a smirk as she kneeled to straighten out the blanket over the inflatable mattress that grandpa had set up.

Atem chuckled slightly before giving Eshe an inquiring look, "Exactly how much of the past do you remember?"

Eshe blinked, thinking it over for a moment before shrugging, "Well, in the grand scheme of things, probably not that much…" she frowned and looked down, "It feels… strange. Knowing that all those dreams I've had were real…"

She looked up to see Atem watching her thoughtfully; he sat on the edge of his bed and laid his hands in his lap, "Strange how?"

Eshe sighed, shaking her head slightly, she couldn't quite figure out the right words to describe how she felt; she pinched the material of the blanket with her fingers and stared perplexingly down at her hands.

"While I'm dreaming of these memories, everything seems so personal and all the emotions I feel are… powerful", Eshe paused to smile apologetically at Atem for the lack of sense she was making; the boy simply nodded his head for her to continue, "...but at the same time, it doesn't feel like me. It feels like I'm watching someone else's life on a television screen…"

She waited for Atem to say something, but the boy just frowned, lowering his gaze to the floor, absorbed in his thoughts.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel a disconnect and it bothers me", Eshe continued, "...you said Seto knows a bit about the past. He's reincarnated too, right? Do you know if he feels the same way?"

Atem shook his head slightly, a gentle shrug to his shoulders, "Well, your situations are different. Kaiba has always been stubborn when it comes to our ancient past, but he's known about it for a while now; he's just unwilling to affiliate himself with Priest Seto in that kind of way. I think he feels that he and Priest Seto _are_ different people, but I don't believe such thoughts are troublesome to him."

Eshe gave a weak smile, "All this reincarnation business is confusing stuff, huh?"

Atem nodded slightly, the corner of his mouth curling up, "It's just another puzzle for us to figure out. Hopefully, when we figure out how to bring your full memories back, everything will become clear."

Nodding her head reluctantly, Eshe's face fell, her gaze veering away from Atem in an attempt to hide the spike of anxiety in her stomach; the boy did not miss this gesture and leaned forward slightly.

"Eshe, what specifically is bothering you about this… 'disconnect' that you feel?"

Chewing her bottom lip worriedly, Eshe sighed, "I'm worried that… I feel-", she left out a minor noise of frustration, "I'm scared of what will happen when I regain my past life's memories."

Atem's eyebrows rose in surprise at her admission, a hint of confusion in his narrowed eyes, he asked, "Why? What are you scared will happen?"

Eshe was silent for a while, staring down at her twiddling thumbs with a perturbed expression, before she quietly spoke again, "In my dreams… Queen Eshe is so… strong and brave- she's more assertive than I am, and I just feel… I feel like a coward in comparison", she looked up at Atem with a quivering lip, "I'm scared that when I regain those memories, I won't be _me_ anymore. She's so different to me- that's why I feel disconnected. If I remember her life as my own, what'll happen to _me_?"

Atem's eyes widened at her, a look of shocked consternation had grown on his face as she spoke, like he couldn't believe what she was saying; he blinked a few times, shaking his head in disagreement, "You are not so wildly different than you were before", he spoke, "You were strong and brave then, and you are strong and brave now. Eshe… watching that duel yesterday between you and Leela- I don't understand how you could possibly think of yourself as cowardly."

He shifted off the bed, taking two steps before falling to his knees beside her; with his hands on her shoulders and his assuring gaze, he continued to say, "You made an incredibly hard decision, Eshe, it takes strength and courage to stand up to the people you love, even when you know they're in the wrong."

Eshe's eyes felt watery; she shuffled closer and he embraced her, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder and accept his comforting gesture with gratitude. She realised his refusal to refer to her and Queen Eshe as ' _different_ ' people, like she so readily did; instead, he thought of them as one person.

"You are not two different people. You are the same soul. And I love you, as I always have."

Atem's sincerity never failed to make Eshe emotional, and she blinked through the tears rolling down her face, her hold on his tightening desperately as she sniffled out a fervent, "T-thank you."

The boy smiled as Eshe slowly pulled away, and reached carefully to brush a stray tear away from her cheek with his thumb; another of his idle actions that seemed to natural and which Eshe found incredibly endearing. Without another word, she lunged forward and caught his lips in a heartfelt kiss.

Tasting the mintiness of Atem's freshly brushed teeth, Eshe grinned into the kiss as he cupped her cheeks to deepen it; she could feel him smile against her mouth. The sensation of his warm, wet lips moving against hers was wonderfully pleasant and left a tingling feeling in it's wake.

When she pulled away, he gazed at her with a devotion that she was beginning to feel worthy of; "You know", she murmured softly, "I've been wanting to do that since this afternoon."

"Why didn't you kiss me earlier?" he asked.

"In front of Joey? You sure you'd be able to deal with the teasing?"

Atem's eyes closed as a sheepish smile reached his face, "I think I'd be able to endure it", he quietly spoke, before leaning in to capture her lips again.

* * *

It was fascinating to watch Atem when he didn't realise he was being watched; Eshe found all of his subconscious mannerisms almost captivating to observe, especially when he wasn't trying to hide behind a mask of calm composure.

The boy had woken up before her that morning while she was still snuggled cosily within the blanket of her air mattress, tiptoeing cautiously around her to make his way to the bathroom so he could freshen up and get dressed for the day. Eshe had awoken when he'd returned to the room, but had continued to doze inconspicuously while Atem treaded carefully around before sitting at his desk.

Eshe had peeked sneakily up at him through her almost-closed eyes to find him meticulously applying eyeliner with impressive precision, a sight that made her immensely giddy. Atem naturally had long eyelashes, but when he wore eyeliner, well, he basically had the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen.

His actions were gentle and exact as he drew the kohl-coloured liner across his lower eyelid, gently pressing the fingers of his other hand to his cheek to help keep the stroke steady. After completing the motion, he pulled his hands from his face and tilted his head to observe his handiwork, batting his eyelids a few times as he looked at himself in the mirror admiringly.

Eshe fought the urge to giggle at the innocent gesture, but instead let out a quiet snort, and Atem spun round in surprise to find Eshe holding the blanket over her head to muffle her gleeful snickering.

"Eshe?" Atem asked curiously, and the confusion in his voice made her laugh more; she pulled the blankets away to reveal her wide grin. "What's so funny?" he asked with a pout, not happy with the prospect of being laughed at again.

"No, it's nothing, it's-" Eshe looked up properly at Atem's face and her laugher caught in her throat, "just… you're… very handsome today."

Atem's resulting smile brightened the room and Eshe bit her lip; the eyeliner really brought out his beautifully angular eyes to the point where he looked irresistible.

"Thank you", he spoke shyly, "I could do yours if you want?"

Eshe rose an eyebrow, a look of consideration on her face at the offer; she had never really felt the need to wear makeup before - it was expensive and she had no idea how to utilise all the elements of it to make herself look pretty like beauty experts did. However, if Atem looked like an ethereal being after just applying a little eyeliner, maybe it wouldn't hurt to try it out.

"...Okay", she nodded; her affirmation made Atem's eyes light up happily, and Eshe found his excitement entirely charming.

The boy promptly grabbed her arm and encouraged her to get up and sit on the bed, quickly collecting his liner pencil before sitting beside her; Eshe shuffled so that she was facing him, an amused smile on her lips at his eagerness, while he situated himself comfortably.

"Alright, just keep your head still. Look at me", Atem instructed, placing a gentle hand under her chin to tilt her head up; Eshe swallowed as he raised the liner pencil up to her eye and she reflexively flinched, inclining her head away from him.

The boy looked at her curiously and Eshe smiled apologetically, "Sorry, but you came at me with that liner pretty quickly."

Atem smiled warmly, "I won't poke your eye out, I promise", he chuckled, and then rose the liner pencil again, a little slower, and began to apply the kohl-coloured cosmetic to her lower eyelid.

Eshe remained remarkably still while Atem conscientiously lined her eyes, his hand splendidly steady; the focus on his face made clear by the way he narrowed his eyes and licked at his lips. The whole time, Eshe stared at him, her cheeks growing pink over his scrutiny, and she absolutely noticed the way he indiscernibly leaned in closer as he worked.

"There", he stated quietly as he finished, pulling away to take in her appearance, he fell silent for a moment as his gaze lingered, his face still exceptionally close to her's.

"How do I look?" Eshe whispered with a playful lilt to her voice.

Atem's purple eyes flickered to her lips before he bent forwards to place the softest kiss to the corner of her mouth, "Beautiful as always."

Eshe flushed bashfully at his honeyed words, fighting the sudden urge to hide her face; she couldn't hold his gaze while he was looking at her like she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen.

Biting her lip shyly, she hopped up and glanced into the mirror, blinking her eyes at her brand new look - a look that was presumably inspired by the way her past-self did her makeup.

It was beautifully done, the lines were the perfect thickness, accentuating the shape of her eyes and calling attention to her warm, brown irises. There was a slight flick to the line in the corner of her eye and it truly emulated the Egyptian-style from what she could recall in her dreams.

"Do you like it?" Atem asked hopefully.

Eshe smiled at her reflection; her hair was a mess, her pyjamas were ruffled, her lips were a little chapped, but _damn_ if her eyes didn't look as stunning as hell.

"I love it", she responded with a deeply appreciative smile.

* * *

After a few days of staying at the Muto house, Eshe still had a hard time remembering that Atem and Yugi weren't actually brothers; it seemed like such a ridiculous notion to say that those two boys hadn't known each other since birth, especially with how seamlessly the brotherly teasing and apparent 'sibling rivalry' made itself known whenever the boys were in the same room.

One such example came in the morning when Eshe and Atem had headed downstairs for breakfast; they had been sitting innocently at the dining table eating cereal when Yugi had quietly padded into the room, stretching as he yawned before opening up one of the kitchen cabinets to peek his head in.

"So, did you guys have fun last night?"

Eshe paused, her spoon-holding hand stilled halfway from delivering her cereal to her mouth as Yugi nonchalantly spoke, his head still buried in the cupboard. Eshe looked to Atem curiously, who blinked a few times and turned around to face Yugi.

"Excuse me?" Atem asked warily, and watched as Yugi shrugged slightly, grabbed a box of cereal and turned to the counter to grab a bowl, pointedly not looking at the two at the table.

Eshe was sure she caught a sly smile on the younger boy's face out of the corner of her eye when he innocuously responded, "Thought I heard your bed creaking a bit is all."

Arching an eyebrow, Eshe blinked a few times in surprise, astonished that Yugi was making a crude joke, the implications of his casual comment were very clear indeed.

No, she and Atem _hadn't_ been up to any 'funny business' last night, as grandpa would have called it, the noises Yugi heard were probably just a result of Atem shifting a lot as he tried to get to sleep, and Eshe was sure that Yugi was aware of that. But it appeared the younger boy did have a knack for making the occasional sly joke.

Instead of becoming flustered like Eshe thought he would, Atem rolled his eyes and then his mouth curled into a smirk as he spoke, "You asked Téa out on a date yet?"

Eshe's eyes flickered back to Yugi, who was still facing away, she could see his shoulders tense slightly and the tips of his ears grow red in embarrassment.

Yugi was quiet for a moment as Eshe observed Atem's increasing mirth, before the younger boy muttered quietly, "No…"

"Why not?"

The younger boy turned to pout at Atem, to which the other boy returned a look of faux confusion, "Don't look at me like that. Why haven't you asked Téa on a date?"

"Come on, Atem", Yugi whined slightly, "Drop it."

"Drop what? Ask her out! She'll say yes. Make sure you wear that studded collar and the bracelets. She likes them."

Eshe almost choked on her cereal as she gave an uncontrollable snort; she quickly rose her hand to cover her mouth in an attempt to keep from spitting cheerios all over the table and potentially Atem who sat opposite her.

"Atem!" Yugi mewled, an indignant look on his blushing face, and the tanned boy began to laugh, relenting in his merciless teasing.

It was endearing to witness; they teased like brothers and they occasionally _fought_ like brothers too, as Eshe quickly learnt that afternoon when Atem opened up the freezer and produced the last strawberry-flavoured popsicle, intent on devouring it.

"Hey, that's _my_ popsicle!" Yugi exclaimed as he passed by the kitchen, greeted by the sight of the older boy clutching the still-wrapped treat in his hand possessively.

Eshe looked up from her spot on the living room sofa, glancing back past her shoulder to see the two boys glaring at each other over the kitchen counter; Atem shot Yugi a skeptical look.

"You had one yesterday", Atem contended.

"But _you_ had one the day before", Yugi pointed out with an accusatory finger.

Eshe rose an eyebrow at the stretch of silence that ensued; a spark of amusement in her eyes at the bickering she anticipated was to come, and then, right on cue-

"Then it's my turn to have one", Atem asserted, holding the popsicle above his head as Yugi tried to reach for it.

"Says who!?" Yugi whined, his voice rising an octave as he practically attempted to climb the other boy in order to reach the icy treat.

"Says, _the Pharaoh_ ", there was laughter in Atem's voice, though he refused to relent and hand over the popsicle, blocking the younger boy with his arm, "and when a pharaoh wants a popsicle, he gets one."

"You didn't even _have_ popsicles in Ancient Egypt!" Yugi argued, affronted at how easily Atem was keeping him at bay.

" _All the more reason I should be allowed one now!_ "

" _Boys, please"_ , Eshe snapped, and the two of them froze and turned to her like deers caught in headlights, "Why don't you play each other for it?" she asked, holding up the console controller she had been entertaining herself with.

The boys looked back at each other with narrowed eyes, before they both smirked in unison, "You're going down, Yugi", Atem stated, "That's what _you_ think", the younger boy shot back challengingly.

Eshe rolled her eyes, "Oh jeez."

With the popsicle placed safely back into the freezer, Yugi and Atem quickly took their competitive positions on the couch, bumping Eshe off of the couch and leaving her with nowhere to sit. She crossed her arms sulkily and observed the game of _Bomberman_ they proceeded to play.

"You're going down, pharaoh", Yugi taunted.

"That popsicle is mine", Atem responded with confidence.

They landed in a draw, over and over and over again. On their fifth round, they drawed once more, and Eshe threw her hands up in exasperation, " _Enough!_ You're clearly both equally skilled in this stupid game, just- please stop!"

"But… who gets the popsicle then?" Yugi asked with a hopeful intonation.

"I do", Atem stated with a smirk, and Eshe groaned as Yugi once again turned to Atem with an irked look.

" _Neither of you get the popsicle!_ I'm having it!" Eshe settled, turning to make her way purposefully towards the kitchen.

"What!?" the boys cried in unison, jumping up off the couch, both of their faces covered with a vexed look.

"That's right, this popsicle is _mine_. Fight me." Eshe authoritatively stated, plucking the frozen treat out of the freezer and quickly ripping it free of the packaging. She stuck it in her mouth as the boys watched helplessly, sharing a collectively pitiful look.

And then, Atem spoke, "Fine. I didn't want it anyway", he crossed his arms and turned his nose up at Eshe, _lying through his teeth._

"Yeah, me neither", Yugi added, adopting a similar stance.

Eshe smirked as she enjoyed the strawberry-flavoured treat, electing not to respond and to instead just watch the badly-restrained glumness become more evident in their eyes.

What a couple of drama queens.

Atem and Yugi were truly the perfect example of the phrase "family isn't defined by blood", and they were very much the most brotherly non-brothers Eshe had ever seen.

* * *

 _The quiet patter of Eshe's little bare feet echoed loudly in the large, daunting passageway; the sconces along the walls casting ominous silhouettes with their flickering flames. She held her maid's hand as she walked, following one of her father's royal advisors towards her parents bedchamber, a small frown on her face at the appearance of the grim looks from the two adults beside her._

 _Her maid had been preparing her for bed, brushing her hair and dressing her appropriately in her night gown when the court advisor had intruded without knocking, a deeply sullen look in his eyes as he announced, "King Nizam has asked for Princess Eshe's presence in the royal chambers."_

 _The maid had shared a look with the advisor, before covering her mouth gently with her hand, trying to disguise a distressed expression before turning to the young princess._

 _Forcing a smile, the maid had moved a stray lock of hair out of Eshe's face and gently told her, "Come along, little one", before offering her large palm for the young girl to take._

 _Eshe had said nothing, confusion and worry bubbling in her stomach, the adults refused to tell her why her presence was required, but she was old enough to realise that something was wrong - the fear and sadness in their eyes was heavy and clear._

 _The short walk from her quarters to her parent's chambers felt far too long with the despairing silence, and Eshe felt the need to break the noiselessness after just a few steps, "What's wrong?" she asked softly, looking up to the advisor with big, scared eyes._

 _He didn't answer straight away, unable to meet her gaze for a moment, before he carefully told her, "Your mother wishes to see you."_

 _Eshe blinked a few times and nodded._

 _Her mother had been ill for the past week and growing sicker by the day, opting to stay primarily in bed so as to recover her strength; and as such, she hadn't been able to see her mother all that much, being told by her father that she needed to rest, and that her presence could possibly be draining for her mother._

 _She had sadly and reluctantly obeyed her father, figuring that if it meant her mother would recover, then it was best to keep her distance. Eshe knew she could be loud and energetic, which probably wasn't what her mother needed._

 _Coming to a stop at the doors of the monarch's bedchamber, the advisor knocked softly, awaiting permission to enter; the king called them in, his voice quiet and reserved, and the advisor held the door open for the young princess._

 _Eshe's eyes were drawn first to the few healers who were fluttering about the room frantically, carrying fresh sheets, pitchers of water and various bowls containing powdered substances that were presumably medicines._

 _Next, her gaze landed on her mother, who was lying in bed, and her father who sat beside her, looking down with sadness in his eyes._

 _King Nizam looked up and caught Eshe's eyes, he swallowed visibly and held out his hand, "Come here, my child", he instructed, his voice barely above a whisper._

 _Eshe let go of the maid's hand and hesitantly made her way towards her father, taking in the sorrowful look on his face with worried uncertainty. As she reached Nizam, she looked to her mother, whose head had turned weakly in her direction._

" _Mama?" Eshe asked softly, her lip quivering as she noticed how unnaturally pale the woman was. Her usually tan skin was a sickly grey, black bags hung below her dull, brown eyes; her lips had lost their once pink colour and the familiar silky sheen of her black hair was gone, leaving an unhealthy straw-like texture in its wake._

" _Hello Eshe", her mother spoke, voice raspy and hushed, "I'm sorry… that we haven't been spending time together."_

 _Eshe bit her lip, unsettled with the way the woman's gaze seemed so distant and far away, "It's okay mama. I know you haven't been feeling well."_

 _Her mother smiled feebly and Eshe climbed up onto the edge of the bed so she could see her more easily, she reached with both of her tiny hands to curl around the woman's shaky one and managed to return the small smile._

" _My dear Eshe… you are a strong, kind person. Don't ever change…"_

" _I won't, mama", Eshe reassured her softly, "...when you feel better, can we go to the gardens?"_

 _Beside her, her father placed a tender hand on her back, "Eshe…" he spoke, but trailed off, losing confidence in what he was going to say._

" _Eshe", her mother spoke delicately, "I'm so proud of you, and I want you to know that I'll always be with you, no matter what", her voice sounded strained._

 _Eshe frowned, looking questioningly at the woman in the bed, "W-what do you mean, mama?"_

" _I'll always watch over you. And remember-" the woman took a pained breath, "The birds are your friends", her eyes welled with tears as she spoke, but she continued to smile as she looked at her only child._

 _Her tears were infectious, and Eshe couldn't help but cry at the sight of her mother weeping, "Mama, I don't understand…" she whimpered; Eshe couldn't help but notice that everyone in the room had fallen completely silent, not even the healers were rushing around anymore. They stood, crestfallen and respectfully unspeaking._

" _I love you, my Eshe…"_

" _I love you too mama", Eshe cried; she watched as her mother's eyes slowly fell shut and her hand fell limp within her grasp._

" _Mama?"_

 _She heard her father inhale a quivering breath, "Oh, no…" he gasped, his hand reaching to curl around her mother's upper arm, squeezing slightly, "no, my love… Sabiya…"_

" _Mama?" she pressed, "Wake up… mama, wake up!"_

" _Eshe, I'm so sorry", her father spoke brokenly, his face stricken with grief, "I'm so, so sorry…"_

 _Eshe didn't understand why her father was crying._

* * *

Muted tears made Eshe's face uncomfortably wet when she awoke from her dream, shifting into wakefulness as she shuffled carefully into sitting position; she took an audible, shaky breath, trying to stay quiet so as not to wake Atem, and brushed away her tears with the soft material of her pyjama shirt sleeve.

Her face was hot and her throat was dry, she needed something to drink, and some time to absorb the heartache of her dream.

Slowly, she pushed back her blanket and stood, stepping noiselessly over the carpet towards the bedroom door. The loud creak that resounded as she opened it made her wince, and immediately she heard a ruffle behind her.

"Eshe? Are you okay?"

She turned and saw Atem bolt upright in bed, rubbing the sleep from one of his eyes with a balled fist; he peered at her through sleepy, lidded eyes and she hoped the darkness of the room hid the glossiness of her eyes.

"I'm fine, just getting a glass of water. Go back to sleep", Eshe answered, confident that her voice was steady enough not to betray her emotional state.

Without waiting for a response, she left the room, trying to move swiftly, yet inaudibly as there were still people asleep in the house. She descended the stairs and entered the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cabinet to fill with tap water; Eshe gulped it down, soothing her dry throat and bringing a little chill to her heated cheeks.

Letting out a satisfied sigh, she placed the empty glass down and gave her face a quick rinse with cool water. She lingered, leaning against the kitchen counter as she thought about her dream- no, her _memory_.

Eshe had never known her modern parents, they had both tragically passed away in a car accident while her aunt was babysitting her, back when she was less than a year old. She had no memory of them except for a few old photographs she had lying around somewhere.

As such, she had never really felt like she _had_ parents, at all, ever. She had no motherly or fatherly figures to turn to when she needed advice or comfort; only her aunt and uncle who provided the bare minimum of raising a child - they did not go out of their way to show they cared, they rarely treated her with material items and belongings. They did not love her, that much was certain, they just felt obligated to take her in because they were the only blood-relatives she had.

Eshe never thought of them as family.

But now, after just one dream of the mother from her past life, she knew that the woman's love for her was far greater than anything she had ever received from her childhood guardians. It really said a lot about her aunt and uncle.

The sound of bare feet on the kitchen tiles drew her attention and she looked over her shoulder to find Atem standing across from her, watching her curiously. He didn't say anything, but it was clear he recognised the puffiness of her eyes as a result of her tears; he stepped forward and opened his arms, inviting her into an embrace.

Eshe smiled and threw her arms around him, relaxing against the comfort of his warm body, and she heard him speak softly, "What was the memory?"

Her head fell to his shoulder, she could feel the heat of his breath brushing her neck and his hand rubbed consolingly over her back; she commended him for how easily he could tell what exactly was the cause of her distress.

"I was young- very young, and I… sat with my mother... while she passed away", Eshe answered, breathing a sad sigh. Atem's arms squeezed her protectively.

"I'm sorry", he whispered.

"It's okay…"

They fell silent, the room was completely quiet apart from the noise of their gentle breathing, not even the ambient nighttime noise of the outside world was there to greet them.

Eshe felt content, "Atem?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me anything about my parents? What do you know of them?" She had a strong desire to learn about the mother and father of her past, and she hoped that perhaps Atem could enlighten her.

Atem pulled away, a small smile on his face, and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "Let's go back to bed, and I'll tell you what I know."

With Atem's hand wrapped securely around her's, they ascended the stairs as soundlessly as possible and once again returned to the guest room. As Eshe moved to take her place once more on her cushiony little inflatable mattress, Atem tugged on her wrist and motioned towards his bed.

Eshe felt a smirk crawl its way onto her face, and she glanced back at the door dubiously, as if grandpa would be up at this hour and lurking nearby to make sure she and Atem weren't getting too cosy with each other.

After gleaning that grandpa wasn't about to burst into the room and exclaim ' _hah! Got you! I said no funny business!_ ', Eshe eagerly shimmied into the bed beside Atem and cuddled up to him below the covers, the sheets still warm from his body heat.

Once they were settled, Atem's calm voice pierced through the silence, "What would you like to know?"

Eshe pressed her ear to Atem's chest, listening to the faint noise of his heartbeat, "Can you tell me about my mother?"

Atem paused, "I only know a little, from what you once told me", he whispered, and Eshe nodded for him to continue, "Your mother's name was Sabiya - you named your crow after her, because although you had only a few memories of your mother, they were powerful and bright, and you loved her so dearly."

Eshe smiled as he spoke, "You told me once that your mother would walk with you in the gardens. She would talk to the birds, and she would sing to you… I think she might have inspired your love of birds."

' _The birds are your friends.'_

It certainly seemed logical to believe that Sabiya, Eshe's mother, had been the sole reason that Eshe felt such a connection with the winged animals, and somehow that memory had stuck with her in her subconscious.

"Do you know why my mother passed away?" Eshe asked; it was hard to deduce from her memory exactly what had caused her mother's illness. From what she understood of her jumbled memories, her mother's death came before she met Atem, but perhaps he had inquired about it once.

"I know only that she died from natural causes when you were three years old", he murmured, and Eshe hummed in acknowledgement. It was astonishing to her that her mother had only been present in her life for three years, and yet she seemed to have been a very prominent, driving force throughout Eshe's ancient life.

"What about my father?"

Atem chuckled slightly, "Your father, Nizam, was good friends with my father following their alliance. He was a good man, and he loved you very much. More than anything."

Eshe looked up curiously, "I've had a few dreams about him… I'm confused over some things. Were our kingdoms at war before, well, before everything…?"

Atem looked a little troubled for a moment, "It's not that simple. There was a third party involved and a lot of conflict. Ultimately, my father reached out to your father - who was pharaoh of Upper Egypt at the time, and offered the possibility of an alliance to strengthen our borders and our armies. The catch was that Nizam had to renounce his title as king. There can only be one pharaoh, after all."

He paused to yawn, and Eshe remained silent, eager to hear more.

"He- he made the right choice when he agreed. Our kingdoms merged and together, we brought peace to Egypt… I'm glad your father made that choice… because if he hadn't… we may not have met under friendly circumstances."

Eshe nodded slightly, a few things still unclear, "I'm glad he did too, but why did he relent his title so easily?"

Atem blinked his tired eyes, struggling to gather his thoughts in the haze of sleepiness that clouded his mind, "Because… he wanted the best for you. Your safety was more important than his title or pride..."

Eshe's lip quivered ever so slightly; after the death of her mother, her father sacrificed so much for her. He gave his entire kingdom over to someone else because he felt he could not protect her alone.

"I wish I could remember them", Eshe whispered.

At the lack of response, Eshe lifted her head off of Atem's chest to find the boy sound asleep, lips parted as his breathing evened out. As always, he had an angelic look about him when he slept, but Eshe could see the slight crease in his brow that left him with a troubled, not entirely tranquil expression. She knew the reason he had woken up at the slightest creak of the door was because, since his Millennium Puzzle had been stolen from right under his nose, he had not _truly_ relaxed, even in his sleep.

Snuggling against his side, Eshe cuddled him close and shut her eyes, hoping to fall into a restful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Something was pressing at Eshe's mind.

It was Wednesday and the gang had chosen to meet up at the arcade for a stress-free day of gaming fun; as it reached one o'clock in the afternoon, Eshe, Yugi and Atem entered the bustling building that was home to flashy lights, loud noises and a ridiculous amount of children.

They spotted Joey and Tristan hanging out by the _Dance Dance Revolution_ stage where Téa was absolutely killing it against a blonde girl who appeared to be struggling to keep up with the high score.

As they approached, the dance round ended and the blonde girl let out an exhausted sigh, leaning over with her hands on her knees as she caught her breath, "Wow. You weren't kidding, you own at this game!"

Téa grinned at the compliment, "Thanks! You're pretty good too!"

"Nowhere near as good as you", the girl laughed, "thanks for playing me, see ya around", the blonde girl gave a wave and quickly hopped off the stage, bouncing away to rejoin her friends across the room.

"Hey guys!" Joey greeted Eshe and the boys as they reached them, "How's it going?"

"It's going good", Yugi responded, a wide smile on his face as he greeted his friend.

Eshe heard Tristan say something about having a go on the 'Shoot em up' game titled _Apocalypse_ , and Joey promptly reacted with enthusiasm, but her attention was drifting.

Staring down at the repeated swirl pattern of the arcade flooring, Eshe found herself contemplating something that had been troubling her more so than usual that day; the mysterious foe that they had not seen again since the incident at the warehouse. Something was wriggling in the back of her brain; it made her feel like she was missing something, as if there was an invisible variant hovering right in front of her face that she hadn't put together yet despite her typically outstanding perception.

A hand on her arm jogged her out of her reverie and she turned, more alert, to a mildly concerned Atem who peered curiously at her from under his long eyelashes; Eshe gave him a reassuring smile, shaking her head as if to say nothing was bothering her.

Atem's hand dropped to intertwine with her fingers and he motioned with a tilt of his head across the room where the gang had wandered off without her; Eshe chuckled with mild embarrassment over the fact that she had just been standing in the middle of the arcade staring at the ground with a distant expression on her face.

She let Atem lead her back to the group and halted behind Joey and Tristan who brandished plastic guns that were pointed at a large split-screen arcade machine, connected with a thick wire to the mechanism beside the coin slot. The guns were fitted with sensors, and from the look of it, the two of them were shooting down some rowdy zombies in a rather horrific-looking cooperative game.

"Ugh! I'm getting overrun!" Tristan exclaimed, shooting wildly at the screen where several gross undead were crowding his character.

"Joey to the rescue!" the blond exclaimed, his game character bursting into the room to shoot up all the walking corpses swarming around his friend, "Take that you fiends!"

"Nice shot, man!" Tristan declared with a wide grin, his voice full of praise as they continued to tackle the zombie horde together.

Eshe smiled; it was a nice change of pace to watch the boys play a cooperative game instead of a competitive one. The latter of the two almost always ended in a verbal back-and-forth which more often than not lead to a physical fight. Watching the boys get along well and even complimenting each other as they played was extremely refreshing and reminded Eshe that they had a very unique friendship.

Sometimes they fought, but for them, it was natural.

With a start, Eshe heard Téa make a noise of delight, and she promptly turned to where she and Yugi were playing a skill game, having just won a jackpot of tickets; Eshe smirked when she caught splendid look on Yugi's face as he watched a very excited Téa gather up their winning tickets. He was totally smitten with that girl and it showed on his face, his eyes shining with mirth.

Looking past the gleeful couple, a claw-machine caught her eye, and she curiously crossed the room to peek into the prize cage to spot a conglomeration of soft-looking plush Kuriboh toys.

She wanted one immediately.

Eshe reached into her bag and pulled out her purse, producing several coins with which she was going to use to attempt to win herself one of the very adorable Duel Monster toys within the cage.

Slipping her first coin into the slot, she steeled herself, looking up briefly as Atem appeared at her side to see what had her attention.

"Kuribohs?" Atem spoke, a lilt of amusement in his voice as he noticed the pile of soft toys.

Eshe grinned, "I have a mighty need for a Kuriboh plushie", she stated, before using the joystick to pilot the metal claw; when she believed she'd lined it up accurately, she slammed down the drop button and the claw began to lower.

"Come on", Eshe murmured with focused determination, crossing her fingers hopefully; she and Atem watched as the claw attempted to close around the plush toy, but unfortunately it was slightly off center, and merely jogged the Kuriboh slightly, returning to the top corner of the machine prizeless.

Eshe pouted, glaring slightly at the metal claw like it had personally offended her, "Okay. Let's try that again." She slipped her second coin into the slot and took charge of the joystick again. Atem looked between her concentrated expression and the animated claw which was moving back and forth undecidedly over the fluffy plush toy in time with Eshe's jagged hand movements on the controls. He took a step around the machine to look at the claw from a different angle.

"Move it forwards a bit", he instructed, and Eshe did as he told her, "Okay, it's in line."

Eshe bit her lip, secretly praying to all the Egyptian Gods to let her _have_ this one, and slapped her hand down on the drop button once again.

Atem watched in anticipation, his face pressed against the glass, and he visibly slumped when the claw lifted the Kuriboh up for just a moment before it slipped out. Eshe groaned, holding up her last coin.

"I have one more coin", she stated, and Atem gave her an encouraging smile and nodded.

"Capture that Kuriboh", he told her, his voice determined and stimulating, as if he was cheering her on from the sidelines of a duel.

Eshe smirked, slotting her final coin, "Alright, Kuriboh. You're mine."

The metal claw moved by her control, lining up directly above the toy, and with strengthened resolution, she hit the drop button for a final time. The claw lowered, enclosing it's cruel metal digits around the fluffy toy without mercy.

"Yes, yes, _yes!_ " Eshe squeaked, as it lifted it up into the air and began moving towards the prize dropbox.

And then, all too suddenly, the Kuriboh slipped free once more, falling short of the exit of the cage. Atem frowned, glancing over at Eshe, whose face mirrored that of someone who was thinking about attempting to beat up an inanimate object.

After a moment, Eshe let out a disappointed sigh, "Guess it wasn't meant to be", she murmured dejectedly, before shrugging and turning on her foot to locate and rejoin Yugi and Téa.

Atem's gaze lingered on Eshe's back for a few moments before he turned his narrowed eyes on the nefarious arcade machine.

* * *

"You alright, Eshe?" Téa's easing voice sounded as Eshe appeared behind them while she and Yugi played together on a machine called _Defender_ ; Eshe gave the girl a small smile and nodded, proceeding to watch Yugi secure the high score.

"Yeah, I'm fine", Eshe assured her, wishing she could follow up with ' _I've just got some stuff on my mind_ ' but that would elicit Téa to ask her what was up, and in all honesty, Eshe didn't really know. Some unknown thought continued to prod at the back of her mind, bothering her relentlessly with no way to mollify it.

There was _something_ about that cryptic individual from the warehouse that set off alarm bells in her head - and not for the obvious reasons.

She was frustrated; it was similar to the feeling you get when you walk into a room and forget why you went in there - you know you walked in for a reason, and you're an inch away from remembering why, but your mind just cannot grasp it.

In her head, she pictured the foe, standing in the warehouse rafters with a malicious smile on his face. She recalled his voice from the initial phone call she'd received from him, his tone had been cruelly playful with the way he'd taunted her.

' _Aww, you don't recognise my voice? I'm hurt. Oh well, I suppose it had been a while._ '

Eshe's lip curled in disgust at the recollection of his goading utterance; his words insinuated they had known each other in the past, but the resonance of his voice was deep and unfamiliar.

"Eshe."

"Huh?" Eshe spun around, once again caught off guard after becoming lost in her thoughts, "Sorry, I was..." She trailed off at the sight of Atem standing before her with a cheerful smile on his face, and in his hands he held out the plush Kuriboh toy from the claw machine.

"I… wha- how did you?" Eshe stuttered, cheeks flushing as he held it out for her to take; she accepted the adorable little fuzzball and looked searchingly up at the boy, whose grin widened.

"I had a spare coin", he explained, seemingly very proud of his newfound claw-machine skills.

Eshe lightly squeezed the fluffy toy in her hands, trailing her fingers through the soft fur; she bit her lip as she smiled, looking up at Atem with overflowing gratitude. This boy was too good to her.

"Atem?"

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?" She felt the need to ask, given that they were in a crowded public place, and Joey or Tristan could have been lurking around any corner, ready to jump out and embarrass them by making a big deal over their show of affection.

Atem's eyes widened minutely and immediately, he responded, "Yes."

Eshe grinned, holding the Kuriboh under one arm while she stepped forward, pressing flush against him as she brought their lips together with fervent desire, her hand curled around the back of his neck, streaming through his hair to tilt his head forwards for a better kissing angle. Atem hurriedly took control of the kiss, his hands cupping her cheeks, aiming to deepen it further, and he boldly nipped at her lower lip gently, eliciting a surprised, sharp inhale from her, followed by a giggle that quickly merged into a moan.

Atem broke the kiss before the passion became too fiery, his face now flushed red, and Eshe could see the way his eyes had darkened with unmistakable carnality.

Reluctantly pulling away, Eshe remembered they were in the middle of an arcade with many kids running around - it was rather unbelievable that none of them had noticed the two older teens passionately making out in the middle of the room, but she wasn't complaining; she smiled with underlying excitement and whispered, "We should do that again… later."

Atem swallowed and cleared his throat, "I agree", his breathing was slightly laboured from the intensity of the kiss.

Fighting the urge to break into a fit of exhilarated giggles, Eshe leaned close again, brushing a quick peck against his cheek before whispering, "Thank you for the Kuriboh."

"...the pleasure is all mine", Atem breathed.

It was much later in the day, when the gang had all gone back to their respective homes, that Eshe found herself sifting through her backpack of belongings she'd idly gathered upon retrieving some clothes from her apartment a few days prior.

Her mind was still buzzing, the thoughts from that afternoon still plaguing her endlessly, telling her there was something she'd missed. _Something important_ , right in front of her eyes.

She pulled her sketchbook out of her bag and placed it on the floor in front of her, beginning to flip the pages and identify the images carefully.

The sight of the drawings brought back the specific memories of the dreams they correlated to; she saw the sketches of various animals like her horse, Meri, and other birds she had befriended in her visions, the plovers, the crows. Several drawings of plant life followed, depictions of the palace gardens, which were apparently one of her favourite places to be, along with poppies, jasmines, a colourful lotus flower.

She continued to rifle through the pages, looking over the sketches of members of the court, Shimon, Mahad, Seto, even a drawing of Pharaoh Aknamkanon himself.

She huffed in amusement as she landed on the page of Prince Atem reading scrolls by the courtyard fountain, before she continued her crucial search.

Eshe observed the next page as Atem walked into the guest room, pausing her perusal to offer him a small smile, before she gazed pointedly down at the paper.

"Hey", Atem murmured, glancing down at the sketchbook, "Are you drawing?"

"No", Eshe answered, "I… I've had this feeling all day… I'm just checking something", the page she'd paused on was a collection of Eshe and a few of her friends; her eyes trailed over Dalila, who was young and bright, she looked as happy as she had been in the memory. Dalila and herself were sat near the pond while Atsu practised clumsily with his training sword in the background; Eshe sighed, remembering Leela's current state, still comatose in the hospital.

Atem watched her, looking from her face to the page, "A feeling?" he pressed curiously, which nudged her out of her thoughts.

"Uh yeah-", she continued turning the pages, eyes flickering over the sketches, "I don't know why but I felt the need to look back through this… I feel like… there's something-"

Eshe turned one more page, and froze.

"Eshe?"

The subject of the image stared back at her; piercing grey eyes boring into her soul, silky black hair tied back. The boy, dressed in pristine magician's robes, watched her with his emotionless, aloof expression.

"Atem", Eshe whispered, dread crawling like spiders up her neck, "I… I know him…"

Atem's eyes became alert, and he looked at her with a wide, confused gaze, "What? Eshe?" He was unnerved by the way her hands were shaking, and he couldn't immediately make sense of what she was talking about. He held onto her shoulder, squeezing it encouragingly, silently pleading for her to speak.

"The man who stole your Puzzle…" Eshe lifted the sketchbook, revealing the page to the boy beside her, "I… I think it's… Rura."

* * *

 **Notes: Please review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**


	26. Dancing On The Edge Of Time

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-Five: Dancing On The Edge Of Time

Eshe looked up as Atem took the sketchbook from her hands, his narrowed, scrutinising gaze hanging heavily on the boy depicted on the paper. She could see the cogs whirring in his brain as he tried to identify the robe-clad individual; he didn't seem to recognise the boy, and Eshe wondered briefly if Atem had ever actually interacted with Rura.

"He… um, he was a student of… Mahad's?" Eshe murmured hesitantly, not entirely certain whether her words were helpful. From what she remembered of her dreams, she was sure Rura had been referred to as the magician's student once or twice, but without the context of her memories, it was quite possibly she had misinterpreted what she had seen.

Something in Atem's gaze sharpened and his eyes widened, brows rising in surprise as he turned to look questioningly at Eshe. "What?" she inquired, a little defensively, under his skeptical stare.

"I remember him, vaguely. He was one of Mahad's apprentices, a model student, and I believe he was in line to become Mahad's successor… until Mana came along", Atem spoke, shaking his head slightly, "I don't think I saw him more than a few times… and we never said a word to each other."

Eshe nodded slightly; Atem's words seemed to correlate with what she remembered of her past life, at least to an extent, but it didn't explain why the boy continued to stare at her doubtfully.

"What?" Eshe asked again, her tone wary and more than a little perplexed.

"Mahad trusted him", Atem stated solidly, "Why on Earth would you think Rura is our mysterious foe?"

Eshe's eyes flickered between his, her face a deep-set frown; she didn't even try to hide her displeasure at his lack of belief in her claim. She stood up, her posture rigid and angry, and opened her mouth to snappily respond, "Maybe because I dreamt that he was spying on me!?"

Atem's wide eyes blinked a few times, his head tilted up to meet her indignant gaze; before he had time to open her mouth, she spoke again.

" _And_ I caught him sneaking around Mahad's room, trying to steal restricted spell books!" Eshe added with equal animosity.

A thought occurred, and Eshe blinked wildly for a moment, shaking her head slightly, "S-something about… reincarnation…" She remembered the words on the spell book she had shoved wordlessly back into the secretive compartment within Mahad's quarters following her discovery of Rura's lurking.

Her murmured words appeared to catch Atem's attention, and he rose to feet before her, discomfited and baffled as he touched her arms gently, "When did this happen?"

Eshe sighed, shaking her head, giving a weak shrug of her shoulders, "I- I don't know… I don't _know_ ", letting out a frustrated groan, Eshe rubbed her bridge of her nose, an infuriating feeling of vulnerability embracing her, "...probably after you died, but he was spying on me long before that."

She didn't mean for that last mumble to come out so bitterly, and she regretted it the moment Atem's face fell and a remorseful look overcame him. "Atem, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"If you're completely sure of what you say", Atem began, his gaze lowered, "then this is… my fault…"

Eshe shook her head incredulously, "How could it be your fault?" the sentiment seemed utterly ridiculous to her; there was no way Atem could have prevented Rura's dubious actions while trapped inside the Puzzle with no memory of who he was.

"I… I should've known- _I should've known_ something wasn't right. He lived in the palace, meaning this whole time he was- he was right _there_ , and I was none the wiser…" Atem rambled, ashamed of his obliviousness of the boy who had been developing malicious schemes and leering at his wife.

"No, Atem- it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself, please. If anything, I'm to blame", Eshe let out a drained sigh, "I- if I knew he was watching me, then I should've told someone… why didn't I tell anyone?" she didn't know what had been going through her past-self's mind for her to keep quiet about her discomfort at the feeling of being watched by the pristine-robed boy.

Atem was worryingly silent, and Eshe caught the dispirited look in his eyes; her mind sobering from its rush of thoughts at once as she tilted his chin up with her gentle touch, "Hey… look, the only one at fault here is Rura. Whatever happened in the past, it's already happened and we can't change it. What's important is that we don't let him win _now_."

Purple eyes shone fondly as Atem looked at her, his lips curling wistfully into a small smile before he softly whispered, "Yugi said the same thing."

Eshe matched his weak smile, "See? Yugi and I agree." Slowly, Eshe leaned forwards and pressed her lips to Atem's forehead, her kiss lingering while his eyes fell shut at her affectionate gesture, "Now, how about we go over everything I remember from my dreams and try to determine a possible motive Rura might have?"

Atem hummed idly, basking in the warmth of Eshe's lips against his temple, "Mm… I thought you said we should stop talking about the past", he murmured with a hint of amusement to his tone.

Eshe pulled back, raising an eyebrow at his smart-ass remark, "There's a difference between rueful reflection and strategic contemplation, so shut your pretty mouth and listen to what I have to say", she spoke with playful authority, brushing her thumb against the boy's soft lips.

He nodded for her to continue, an adoration in his gaze that made Eshe feel slightly bashful, and she quickly began a lengthy, in-depth recount of the dreams in which Rura had made an appearance, or at the very least, been mentioned.

Flipping through her sketchbook to check the drawing that best jolted her mind, she landed on the image where her hair was being skillfully braided by Dalila, "The first time he was mentioned in my dreams, it was when Dalila was telling me about him- how she found him irritating and strange, but she readily admitted that she thought he was a talented magician - more so than her brother, Atsu, at least."

"Atsu?" Atem inquired curiously.

"He was a friend of mine in the past, bit of a dork- did you know him?"

Atem looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head, "Another of Mahad's students, I believe", the boy answered, "But I did not know him personally."

Eshe nodded, "Well, Dalila told me Rura had superior magical prowess and that he excelled in destructive magic."

"Destructive magic?" Atem repeated, a troubled look in his eyes, "Isn't that reassuring?" he murmured, a hint of sarcasm to his tone.

"Mmm", Eshe gave a hum of agreement, flicking idly through her sketchbook a little more, "Dalila didn't like him, but she respected his abilities", she noted, and tapped her finger on another page, a sketch of Eshe with her friends hanging out in the courtyard, "Ah, here. I remember this… Rura appeared while I was with Dalila and Atsu. I recall thinking he was unsettling in the way he moved and spoke."

"How so?" Atem asked, his eyebrows knitted in thought.

Eshe sighed, "I don't know, he made me feel restless. He always moved so stiffly and mechanical, like he was secretly a robot or something", she rolled her eyes at her own juvenile description, but really, she couldn't think of a better way to describe him, "He just seemed so… _not_ human. His voice was low and monotonous, his eyes were chilling, his robes were always impossibly white every time I've seen him."

Atem watched her closely while she spoke, not letting a word slip over his head, and placed his comforting hand over hers, "When did you feel he was spying on you?"

Eshe looked down at the page were an etching of a simple lotus flower sat innocently on a floating lilypad, "From what I understand, it was a day where you were away from the palace with your father", she answered, she paused to determine whether or not any particular instance of Atem leaving the palace seemed familiar to the boy, but he frowned with a brief shake of his head.

"I would leave the palace with my father every so often, usually to visit allied countries, but if I was only gone for a day, then perhaps I was visiting a temple", he shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure when this could've happened, though."

Eshe nodded, "Well, I just remember being… sad… bored, and lonely, maybe? I was by myself in the gardens, sitting by the pond, and Atsu came to try and cheer me up. I'm not sure where Dalila was that day, but I'm glad I wasn't completely alone, because when I looked up and saw Rura standing by the garden entrance just _staring_ at me, I felt intimidated."

She felt Atem's hand squeeze hers gently and when she looked up, he had that _look_ again on his face; a look engulfed in contrition, "Hey, look at me", she demanded softly, "Not your fault, remember?"

Atem sighed, but smiled nonetheless, "I never liked leaving the palace without you. I was happiest when we were together."

Eshe's eyes twinkled, biting her lip to hide a shy smile, "Quit making me blush, I can't think straight."

With a chuckle, Atem apologised, "Sorry, please, continue."

Pushing the flustered thoughts back, Eshe concentrated hard on her memory involving Rura in Mahad's quarters, "I had one more dream about him. I think it was after you… after you passed away. Mahad was gone too, and I was… I was so _angry._ It felt different to my other dreams, and it was a little fuzzy around the edges, but I was headed to Mahad's room with a bunch of guards, and somehow I knew I was going to find him there."

Eshe frowned at the confusing memory, "I wasn't afraid at all, and I sounded so forceful; my guards told me to stay put while they searched the room but I ignored them and just walked in", her brow furrowed, "Seems pretty stupid in retrospect, but I caught him red-handed, clutching a book on reincarnation from Mahad's - uh, _secret magic stash? -_ and my guards surrounded him. I didn't give him a chance to speak, but I sounded so sure of myself and I got him thrown in jail without a trial."

She fell quiet, a troubled look befalling her, "He told me I wouldn't get away with the injustice… was I… was I wrong to do that?"

Atem took her hand, his fingers brushing tenderly against her skin, "Don't second-guess yourself now. It sounds like you were unwavering in your decision; you wouldn't make such a verdict if you didn't think it was absolutely necessary, trust me-" he leaned ever-so-slightly closer, "I _know_ you."

His words were reassuring and something about his tone made her feel so utterly calm and content, she shimmied towards him on the edge of the bed, finding solace in their proximity, Eshe smiled appreciatively at the boy, who continued to prove himself as the kindest person she had ever known.

"I have… a theory", Eshe spoke, feeling comfortable in sharing her train of thought with Atem, who perked up to listen.

"Tell me", he prompted her gently.

"Okay, well, when I was dueling Leela, she told me that following your sacrifice, I was inconsolable- she said I was broken and that she couldn't stand to see me like that. Well, what if she… went to Rura? What if she asked him if there was a way to fix things - in her mind, at least - she wanted me to be happy again. I think, maybe, Dalila might've asked him about this _reincarnation_ spell, and after I caught him out and sent him to a cell, perhaps she broke him out of jail and together they carried out this elaborate plan…"

Atem was quiet for a while, his eyes boring into the floor as he thought it over, before he spoke up, "It sounds possibly, but… if he wanted to get revenge on you- make you 'pay for injustice', then what did he get out of bringing himself, you and Leela back three-thousand years in the future?"

Eshe shook her head, shrugging her shoulders, "Maybe… maybe Dalila was a fool to have trusted him and he actually had his own agenda? Perhaps he manipulated her into helping him by taking advantage of her misery?" she offered uncertainly, "I don't know…" she let out a frustrated groan, "if I had all my memories back…"

Atem gave a light huff of amusement, "Then this wouldn't be a problem at all."

"So we need to figure out how to get my memories back", Eshe declared, slapping her hand down on her knee to punctuate her statement, and Atem rose an eyebrow at her curiously, a smile on his face at her enthusiasm.

"We do", he agreed.

"Yes", Eshe spoke, before her face fell, "so… how do we do that?"

Atem sighed, "I think it has something to do with your necklace- the one that Rura stole from the museum."

"Oh. Well isn't that convenient", Eshe mumbled sarcastically, "What about we try something else?"

Atem gave her a perplexed look, "Something else? Like what?"

Eshe smiled slyly, "There's loads of things we could try… maybe… you could tell me things about our past life- about us- and it could jog my memory… or..."

Catching her sly look, Atem rose an eyebrow, "Or?"

Eshe licked her lips, leaning closer to the boy with clear intent, "Or you could make out with me, and maybe _that_ might bring my memories back?"

The boy smirked, his cheeks growing pink at the suggestion, his eyes flickered down to her glossy lips, "I don't see why we shouldn't try", he responded, his sultry tone teasing, voice low and provocative.

Eshe knelt on the bed, giving herself a few inches more height on Atem, and tilted his head back with a brush of her fingers against his chin; his tongue darted out coyly to wet his lips in anticipation and with torturous suspension, she dipped her head down slowly and kissed the boy.

This time, Atem let Eshe control the kiss, remaining still and pliant under her affectionate touches; he gave a quiet moan of surprise when Eshe pushed him back down against the bed and kissed him once more, nothing but the sound of Eshe's giggles and the wet smack of their lips moving together filling the air.

Eshe sighed happily, the smell of Atem's natural scent overwhelming her in the best kind of way, she could feel her pulse racing and the beautiful tingling sensation against her mouth made her tremble in excitement.

The kiss they shared was deep and full of an intense yearning, it was the kind of kiss that lovers shared in the heat of the moment, Eshe boldly nipped at his lower lip until his mouth fell open and shamelessly, she thrust her tongue past his lips to brush against his, inducing a soft groan from the boy.

When she pulled back, Atem was looking up at her through lidded eyes, the darkened colour of his eyes betraying his profound emotions and acute lustfulness; licking his lips to savour the taste of her mouth, he impishly whispered, "Did that bring your memories back?"

Eshe grinned, brushing her hand through his bangs, "Mm, unfortunately not. Shall we try again?"

" _Gladly._ "

* * *

Eshe shifted up to Atem on the couch, relaxing against his side as he casually swung his arm around her to pull her closer; she rested her head back against his shoulder as she idly played the charming little RPG game on the console. She quietly created the two characters in her party to represent Atem and herself as closely as possible - though given that the game didn't cater to the boy's ridiculously unusual hairstyle, they were forced to use their imaginations for appearances.

"Okay, now for skill point allocation, I'll just even mine out. What do you want for yours?" Eshe asked as she input a few points for each of her skills as equally as she could.

"Max strength, max charisma, max intelligence-"

"You can't- you don't _have_ that many skill points. You have ten skill points to allocate and each skill requires fifteen points to max", Eshe spoke, restraining a snort at Atem's complete lack of modesty.

"This game is unrealistic", Atem remarked, his lips forming a sulky pout of displeasure, and Eshe rolled her eyes, and amused smile reaching her face.

"No, it isn't. This is how all RPG's are, you can't be the master of everything right off the bat. _That_ would be unrealistic", Eshe explained, "You have to balance things out. Here, you can have three points for charisma but we'll keep strength and intelligence at two."

After a moment of silence, Eshe heard Atem clear his throat and speak with a brooded tone, "What are you trying to say?"

Eshe smirked, her tone full of jest, "That you're not as strong or smart as you are cute."

Atem's pout grew and his eyes narrowed with indignance; Eshe erupted in laughter at the sight, quickly working to amend her statement, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! You are _very_ smart", she assured him, and he gave her an expectant look.

"And strong."

"Eh."

"I _am_ strong!"

"I guess a little, sure."

Eshe bit her lip to hide her teasing grin as Atem gave her stare that wholly communicated his dismay at her persistent, playful mocking.

"I _am_ strong", he repeated insistently, his voice suddenly low, and Eshe rose an eyebrow; before she could say anything in response, Atem slid off the couch and scooped her up in his arms.

She squealed as she was lifted, her arms reflexively swinging around his neck to ensure she didn't fall, "Put me down!" she squeaked, her giggles betraying the supposed irritation behind her words.

Atem smirked victoriously, marching around the room as he carried her with little to no effort needed, "Told you I was strong."

"Oh, come on, I'm not _that_ heavy!" Eshe laughed, before letting out a panicked cry as the boy pretended to almost drop her.

" _Not funny!"_ Eshe whined, sliding out of his arms and back onto the couch; she laid back as Atem crawled over her and smiled.

"Well, have I proven my strength to you?" Atem inquired slyly, a kittenish lilt to his voice that sent tingles down Eshe's spine. She bit her lip, glad that grandpa was out of the house at that moment; if the old man came in and saw Atem crouched over Eshe in such a leering position, he would probably lose his mind.

Licking her upper lip, Eshe trailed her fingers up his bare arms, delighted in his preference for wearing tank tops; they always showed off his prominent biceps, which made for quite a sight for the girl.

"Mmm, I'm not sure, I think I need to see more", her voice was quiet and coy, and Atem knelt back, straddling her legs as he let out a mirthful laugh.

"You guys are gross", came Yugi's baiting voice from the entrance of the living room; Eshe turned red at his voice, deducing that he must've heard her very forward flirting, while Atem turned his broad smile in Yugi's direction.

"You and Téa going on that date, yet?" Atem taunted cool-headedly, and immediately Eshe heard the other boy let out a groan and scuttle off.

" _Shut uuup!_ " Yugi's voice came muffled from down the hall as the boy took off upstairs again. Eshe snickered, and watched as Atem tugged at the rim of his tank top, pulling it up slightly to reveal his firm abdominal muscles.

"What're you _doing?"_ Eshe snorted, her hand coming to her face out of reflex to hide her bashfulness.

" _Proving_ my _strength_!" Atem stated, "See? I'm _strong_!" There was a comical wail to his voice that suggested he was acting up simply to amuse Eshe, and it was certainly working.

"Alright, _alright!_ Three points in strength", Eshe conceded, reaching for the controller that had been dropped at some point, she had almost forgotten they were playing a video game.

"Only three?"

" _There's not enough skill points to allocate!_ " Eshe cried, she could feel the heat rising off her off her face from her boundless laughter.

Atem sat back, dropping the material of his tank top, "Alright, fine", he spoke, resuming his initial position beside Eshe with his arm around her, "Just so long as you _know_ I'm deserving of more points."

"Yes, very nice, you must do a lot of sit-ups", Eshe giggled, and Atem smirked, falling silent as his playfulness came to a stop; he watched quietly as Eshe began the introduction of the game, a distant look on his face.

"You used to watch me practise sword fighting."

Eshe hummed inquisitively, not taking her eyes off the screen, "Huh?"

"Back in the past, I used to swordfight as part of my combat training in the private courtyard. They were supposed to be undisclosed lessons, just the combat instructor and myself, but you would sneak to the upper level of the courtyard and secretly watch me", his mouth formed a wide grin, "You thought I couldn't see you, but I _knew_ you were there."

Eshe bit her lip, her face reddening, pausing the game as she turned back to Atem with an inquisitive look and a shy smile, "Tell me more?"

Atem chuckled, "My instructor had no idea, but I knew you were there, so I'd always try and do something to impress you - but then I'd be too busy trying to show off my moves that my instructor would be able to disarm me with ease. Then I just looked like a fool", he smiled, shaking his head slightly, "It was embarrassing. And then, whenever I'd see you later in the day, you'd innocently inquire as to how my lessons went, and I'd pretend not to know that you knew _exactly_ how it went", he trailed off, a far away look in his eyes as he reminisced about their previous life; Eshe could see, plain as day, the underlying despondency in his longing stare.

Eshe frowned, the boy's sorrow was catchy. She hated to see him suffering from the low spiritedness that often came with nostalgia and remembering good times that no longer were; with overwhelming tenderness, Eshe cupped his cheek, bringing their gazes together, and offered him a soft smile.

"We'll get my memories back, Atem", she promised, and he smiled appreciatively at her reassurance, and then she continued to say, "Whether it takes days or months, I _will_ remember."

And his face fell, his eyes darting away; something like pain passed across his face and Eshe's brow furrowed in worried confusion, "What's wrong?"

Atem shook his head immediately, "It's nothing."

"You're lying", Eshe saw easily through the mask he tried to hide behind, and a pang of shame flashed through his eyes.

"No, I'm- I'm sorry… I'm just…" he struggled to find the right words.

"Stressed out?" Eshe offered, and a humourless smile reached Atem's face, accompanied by a nod.

Eshe sighed softly, leaning up to press a kiss to his forehead, "It's okay. Let's play our video game", she decided to let it go for now, but she made a point to store away in her brain that he was troubled by something he was unwilling to share.

The buzz of Eshe's phone stole her attention away from the boy and to the coffee table where it sat, vibrating incessantly. Curiously, Eshe pulled away from Atem and plucked the phone off the surface, her eyes landing on the unfamiliar caller ID; she sent Atem a cautious look, and he sat up straight, reacting to her wary expression.

Pressing the 'answer call' button, she hit the speaker button and hesitantly murmured, "Hello?"

"Hi, this is nurse Hana from Domino City Hospital", Eshe and Atem visibly relaxed at the sound of a bubbly woman's voice, "Is this Eshe Creed?"

"Yeah, that's me", she responded curiously, pleased that the nurse had remembered her _real_ name and didn't refer to her as Amelie as she had at the hospital; after a moment, Eshe realised the significance behind the reason the nurse may have been calling, "Is… Leela okay?"

"She's awake!" the nurse exclaimed happily, "and she's fine! You're welcome to come and visit her later today- her parents have been with her all morning- would you like me to tell her that you're coming?"

Eshe swallowed heavily, looking nervously to Atem, her expression filled with fear and anxiousness, and the boy offered a meek smile in a vain attempt to offer her comfort, "U-um, no, I… I'll come by as a surprise… don't tell her."

The nurse seemed a little confused by her response, as communicated by her pause and the perplexed tone of her voice, "Oh… well, okay, I won't tell her then. She's still in the same room as before, do you remember where it is?"

"Yeah, I… I remember", Eshe realised her reaction must've come across as very unusual to the woman, such news was probably greeted more often by unbridled joy, not trepidation and worry.

"Alright… well, remember to check in as a guest. See you soon", Nurse Hana spoke.

"Yeah. Goodbye", Eshe sighed, lowering the phone as the nurse hung up. She looked at Atem, her lip quivering slightly in foreboding, and the boy wrapped his arm around her to help alleviate her fears.

"Maybe it'll be okay?" he spoke, though his words were void of confidence, "Maybe she'll remember…"

Atem continued to surprise Eshe with his never ending selflessness, it made more sense to Eshe that Atem would be pleased Leela didn't remember her after everything she'd done, and yet here he was, trying to soothe her and give her hope that the girl who had once been her closest friend might still retain memory of her.

Eshe shook her head, she didn't have much faith in the thought.

* * *

Fidgeting with her fingers, Eshe stood in the dreary, white hallway, her gaze lowered to her shifting feet while she ignored the flutter of doctors and nurses passing by her every now and then. She had been standing outside Leela's room for half an hour, doubtful and unsure of herself, second-guessing whether or not it would be better not to enter the room at all.

Atem stood quietly by her side, and had been the whole time, arms crossed as he watched her closely, observing the clear conflict on her face; he tried desperately to think of words that would subdue her nerves, but he did not believe that Leela had come away from the duel unscathed, and that her memory of Eshe was indeed lost, so he remained dolefully silent.

Eshe let out a frustrated sigh, angry at herself for her hesitance, and looked cautiously up at the door to the hospital room; she made a move as if to turn and enter, but stopped again, shaking her head, her emotions doing backflips, oscillating thoughts making it impossible for her just suck it up and walk in.

Looking apologetically up at Atem, Eshe shrugged her shoulders slightly, "Maybe we should just leave…"

Atem stared at her for a moment, and Eshe felt ashamed under his gaze, despite the fact that his scrutiny was not unkind, and then he unfolded his arms, reaching carefully for her hand. His palm was warm and fit cosily against her's, as it always did, and he gave her hand a little squeeze of reassurance that he was right there beside her no matter what.

His small, affectionate gesture was enough to give her all the courage she needed, and she breathed in a deep inhale, looking gratefully up at the boy, before quietly asking, "Will you come in with me?"

Atem's lips curled into a soft smile, "Of course."

Eshe exhaled and turned around to face the door, straightening her back in a false show of bravery, and she knocked firmly a couple of times before opening the door.

Leela was sat up in bed, her eyes trailing across the pages of the beauty magazine she held in her hands; there were two unoccupied seats drawn close to the left of the bed, presumably where her parents had been sitting while they agonisingly waited for the girl to come out of her coma.

Green eyes lifted from the magazine and landed on Eshe and Atem, eyelids fluttering as she stared at them silently, and then, when the wordless stare became a little persistent, Leela opened her mouth to speak, "Hi", she spoke, a slight raise to her eyebrow.

Eshe felt a swell of hope in her chest that seemed to soar, until Leela proceeded to say, "Who are you?"

 _And there is is._ Eshe pursed her lips to hide the quivering, she felt Atem tighten his grip on her hand, his head turning to her with a sympathetic look. Eshe steeled herself, and spoke little over a whisper, "Sorry, wrong room", and promptly released Atem's hand to scurry away.

A sad sigh breezed from Atem's lips and he shifted on his feet for a few moments while Leela looked at him curiously, a concerned expression on her face.

"Is she okay?" Leela inquired softly, and Atem swallowed, blinking a few times fast, before shaking his head minutely and turning to leave the room without a word.

He closed the door as he walked back into the hall, glancing up the corridor to see Eshe standing in front of a bulletin board, seemingly very interested in some leaflets about treatments of certain illnesses. Her posture was rigid and she was hugging herself, head hanging low to make herself look small; Atem made his way towards her, laying a hand on her shoulder, he could see the buildup of tears in her eyes that was threatening to topple over down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Eshe", he spoke quietly so as not to draw attention from any passersby.

Eshe shrugged, her body trembling as her tears fell freely; releasing a sigh, she turned and buried her face into his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her in consolation.

"I shouldn't have let myself hope she'd still remember", Eshe cried, "I- I don't know why I wanted her to remember. I thought maybe she would be able to show me that she was truly sorry for what she did and there'd be a way for her to redeem herself, or- maybe she could help us figure out how to get your Puzzle back… but now…"

Eshe drew in a shuddering breath, "Perhaps it's best she doesn't remember… with me wiped from her memory, she's not weighed down by the events of the past. Maybe she could start anew… without me", she bit her lip to restrain a whimper, "She could be a better person."

Atem was silent, rubbing her back in a tranquilising manor while Eshe unloaded her whirring thoughts onto him.

Eshe sniffled, clinging to Atem until she had calmed down enough to control her emotions, "Let's go back home", she whispered, and Atem nodded in agreement.

"Eshe, your friends are always here for you", Atem told her earnestly, "You're never alone."

Eshe managed a weak smile; she knew Atem and her friends were _always_ willing to listen and offer help if she so needed it, but the reminder was always reassuring to hear.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Eshe had moved temporarily into the Game shop, and it was inevitable that she'd find herself ready to return to work following the expiration of her stress write-off, and on a Monday, of all days. It wasn't that she still felt unable to work, in fact, she was full of energy most of the time and would have been glad to expel it once again at the confectioner cafe.

The only thing that plagued her was Rura.

The magic-user had been off the radar for a whole fourteen days, not having made an appearance since the warehouse incident, and it was making Eshe antsy. It felt like it was only a matter of time before the creep confronted her again when she was least expecting it, and for that reason, she despised the idea of spending time away from Atem and her friends.

She was afraid, and she was loathe to admit it.

"Is something on your mind?"

Eshe's gaze rose from the concrete pavement to look at the boy who was walking alongside her; Atem had insisted on walking her to the cafe she worked at, for obvious reasons, and they had both been silent the whole time. It wasn't one of their comfortable silences, however, it was clear to each of them that something was bothering the other.

Atem had been acting strangely as the week rolled on, Eshe had observed; he'd been a lot quieter than usual, and whenever he did speak, it was short, irritable words. Often times, Eshe had seen him staring off into space with a cloudy look in his eyes, and it would take more than a few calls of his name to gain his attention. On top of that, Eshe had caught him rubbing the back of his neck in a weak attempt to alleviate the tension in his shoulders; something was making him incredibly anxious and Eshe just didn't know what.

"I could ask you the same question", Eshe responded playfully, and Atem shook his head, shrugging his tense shoulders.

"I'm fine", he told her, his gaze falling away, and Eshe frowned at the lack of honesty he was displaying.

"Atem…" Eshe murmured.

"I- I just don't want to talk about it", the tanned boy insisted, frowning deeply as his eyes bore into the ground ahead of him.

Eshe grabbed his wrist, effectively bringing his brisk pace to a halt, and he gave her an exasperated look that quickly softened as he caught her worried expression, "Atem, if I've done something to upset you-"

"No, it's not that- nothing like that", he cut in, and forced himself to smile as best he could, "I'm just… I just… want to get your memories back."

Eshe's eyes darted between his for a moment, and her grip slipped down his wrist to curl around his hand, "We will", she smiled, "We'll figure it out, okay?"

Atem nodded and continued to walk at her side as they made their way towards the cafe ahead. Upon entering the small shop, Eshe's eyes landed on the only person in the room, her dear coworker, Haru.

Haru's eyes flickered up at the sound of someone entering, and he swiftly did a double-take as he recognised just who it was that had walked in.

"Eshe!" the boy exclaimed with excessive enthusiasm, perhaps a little too friendly than Eshe was expecting, and the girl rose an eyebrow at the wide smile she received, "You're back!"

"Didn't you know I was coming?" Eshe asked curiously, figuring the cafe manager would've informed Haru.

"Well, yes", Haru spoke, "I just missed you is all", he flicked a strand of silvery hair behind his ear and then his gaze drifted to Atem.

Haru winked at the boy, who cleared his throat and shuffled in place from foot to foot, and sweetly spoke, "Hey, _Atem_ , how's it going, handsome?"

Eshe watched in amusement as Atem bit the inside of his cheek and swiftly murmured, "I'm fine."

Haru raised an eyebrow, "You know, _last time_ you were here, you snatched the phone out of my hand", his tone was teasingly accusatory and Atem stared at the boy, unable to restrain the flustered look on his face.

At his silence, Haru looked expectant, "Well? Thought it was pretty rude, wasn't it?"

Atem's composure slipped slightly and he blinked rapidly, "Oh, uh, my apologies", he fumbled, and Eshe bit her lip to hide a smile.

Haru straightened up slightly, his lip curling in the corners to reveal a sly smile, and it was at that point that Eshe felt the need to step in to save her boyfriend from the clear unease he was facing.

"Alright, I better get to work then", Eshe stated, breaking the tension in the room, she turned to Atem with a thankful smile, "Thank you for walking me to work. I'll see you later?"

Atem smiled, relieved that she'd resolved the awkwardness, "Of course, I'll be here to walk you back", he assured her, lifting her hand to press a tender kiss to her knuckles.

"Goodbye", Eshe whispered, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. With a shy grin, Atem turned to leave, purposely avoiding the gaze of the silver-haired boy.

As the door to the cafe fell shut, Eshe turned to give Haru a semi-glare, "Quit harassing my boyfriend", she spoke commandingly, and Haru immediately let out a laugh.

"Oh, so he _is_ your boyfriend now?"

"Yeah, so shut your jealous ass up", Eshe responded sassily.

Haru smirked as she began washing her hands, his eyes lingering on her with a knowing look on his face.

Eshe became irritated by the feeling of his incessant gaze, "What?" she snapped, already falling back into the swing of working with Haru.

"He's just so… weird- _different_ , in a good way though, isn't he? Like, he says 'my apologies' instead of 'sorry', and he kisses your hand like he's an aristocratic vampire right out of a nineties romance film."

"Ugh. You're just jealous because you'll never find a guy as gorgeous as him", Eshe shot back, and Haru's mouth screwed up in agitation.

"Well you don't have to rub it in, Esh."

Eshe smirked, noting the underlying envy of his tone.

* * *

It was unusually chilly outside as Saturday evening came, Eshe pulled on a high-collar blouse and grabbed her shoes, slipping them on quickly.

"Atem, are you coming?" she called out as she descended the stairs.

Since it was the weekend, the gang had decided to spend some time together by enjoying a good ol' slumber party, this time complete with snacks, sugary beverages and a wonderful horror movie marathon.

First, however, they needed to make a trip to the convenience store to top up on food and drink, so Eshe had decided to volunteer, and Atem had quickly offered to join her, naturally.

As Eshe entered the living room, she frowned at the sight of Atem slumped miserably on the sofa; he'd been getting more and more upset and still refused to tell her what the cause of his sadness was.

"Atem?" she asked softly, and the boy stood up, not even attempting to force a smile.

"Yeah, I'm coming", he spoke, and Eshe placed a hand on his arm to stop him, giving him a concerned look. Predictably, he looked away, avoiding her gaze, and Eshe felt frustration rise up within her; she bit her lip to keep from demanding an explanation for his moroseness, knowing it would only serve to make him grumpy.

She turned, rolling her eyes discreetly as she began to walk towards the door, before stopping suddenly, "Oh, I left my purse upstairs, gimmie a sec."

Atem nodded and Eshe quickly made her way back through the room and up the stairs, passing Yugi on the way up, he gave her a smile and she quickly returned it, if a little meekly, before making her way into her and Atem's shared room; she snatched her purse up and shoved it into her pocket.

As she made her way back down the stairs, she treaded carefully and quietly at the sound of faint voices; Atem and Yugi were speaking in the other room, and she held her breath, trying not to make a noise as she eavesdropped on the conversation.

"Atem, you need to talk to Eshe about it. She's worried", she heard Yugi suggest, and she paused as she realised she might find out what exactly was troubling the tanned boy so much.

"You know I can't", Atem responded stiffly.

"You can, and you _need_ to", there was a pause as Yugi sighed, "We're running out of time, Atem."

"Don't you think I realise that?" Atem spoke tightly, a hitch of anxiety in his voice, and Eshe frowned deeply.

 _Running out of time for what?_

"Atem… we only have seven days left."

"I _know_ , Yugi."

"Seven days till what?" Eshe interrupted as she reentered the room, her voice sharp and her eyes narrowed, and both the boys froze, looking up at her like deer caught in headlights.

The jig was up, whatever the two boys were hiding from her, the truth was going to come out now, one way or another. Eshe stared hard at Atem as he began to fidget, not quite sure what to do with his hands, his eyes darted around, looking anywhere but her face.

"Well?" she pushed for an answer, but still the boys remained silent; Yugi looked expectantly up at Atem, who shook his head dismissively.

" _Atem_ ", Eshe snapped, the upset clear in her voice, "tell me. Now."

Atem breathed a pained sigh, his face scrunched with conflict, before he looked at her with an expression of guilt, "We have seven days… to restore your memories."

Eshe frowned, shaking her head in confusion, "What?"

Eyes lowering to his feet, he murmured, "If we don't return your memories in seven days, we may never enter the afterlife."

His declaration was ultimately confusing to Eshe, and she swallowed hard, "Atem, what the fuck are you talking about?" she asked in a low tone, his words making no sense to her.

Atem pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a moment to figure out the best way to word what he was about to say next, "... When I faced the afterlife gate, and I did not see you there, Osiris appeared and told me you were alive…"

"Yes?" Eshe pushed, she knew this, he had already explained this to her.

"... He gave me ninety days. Ninety days to find you and restore your memories, and we must return to the gates before the end of the last day, so we can enter the afterlife and gain eternal rest. If I were to fail… we would never be granted passage to the afterlife."

His voice remained unsettlingly calm as he spoke, his firm gaze on Eshe's face to reveal that he was being absolutely truthful; and Eshe saw Yugi shift nervously on his feet at the extended silence.

Atem's words sunk in, and Eshe's eyes widened.

" _W- when were you planning on telling me this?_ " she spoke, her voice a pitch higher than usual, and wrought with panic.

Atem opened his mouth to respond, but Eshe quickly cut him off, " _You weren't going to tell me, were you!?_ "

The boy looked ashamed under her frantic stare, and his silence was enough of an answer. Eshe bristled, glancing to Yugi, "I'm going to the store. Yugi, will you come with me?"

She tried to keep her voice steady, but this new piece of information was frightening, and the fact that Atem had endeavoured to keep it from her was extremely hurtful.

Yugi blinked, his eyes wide, and Atem quickly spoke up, "But, I was going to-"

"I don't want you to come anymore", Eshe snapped in a hushed tone, and Atem slouched dejectedly.

"Um, yeah, I… I'll just go and get my bag", Yugi murmured, treading carefully as he slipped past Eshe.

Eshe stared heavily at Atem, who was very interested in his shoes all of a sudden, and she could see the remorse behind his eyes.

' _Good._ ' She thought coldly, at least he realised he was wrong for once again keeping secrets from her.

She turned as she heard Yugi come back down the stairs behind her, his bag slung over his shoulder and a troubled look on his face.

"Let's go, the others will be here soon", Eshe spoke, her voice still tight with unrestrained anger, and without another look to Atem, she trod with deliberately loud steps out of the front door.

They walked in silence for more than half the journey to the store, Eshe's angry pace becoming a chore for Yugi to keep up with, before the girl broke the silence, "Yugi, how could he do that?" her words came through gritted teeth as a result of trying to bottle in her shaken emotions.

Yugi frowned, eyeing the ground for a moment before replying, "Please don't be mad at him, the reason he didn't tell you is because he didn't want to push you away-"

"Push me away? Oh, so he decided it was best to just _not_ talk it through and instead leave it until the last second to say ' _oh by the way, we're going to die now_ '!?" Eshe sputtered, still disbelieving of audacity of the other boy.

"It's not like that, Eshe", Yugi pressed, "Atem should've told you, I agree, but he didn't know _how_ to tell you."

Eshe let out a furious huff, " _It's not that hard!_ He could've just _said the words!_ "

Yugi shook his head, his voice soft, "And how would you have reacted?"

Eshe clenched her jaw, her pace faltering slightly. If Atem had told her all of this weeks ago when she'd begun staying at the Game shop, she probably wouldn't have taken it any better than she was taking it now. Alright, so Yugi had a point, but that didn't change the fact that Eshe didn't want to die.

"I don't want to go to afterlife. I'm eighteen years old, I have my whole life ahead of me", Eshe argued, her resolve cracking slightly, "Don't I get a say in any of this?"

Yugi's gaze fell, "If it was up to me, both you and Atem would stay. But Osiris gave Atem an ultimatum, and the alternative sounds so much worse… this is why we must get your memories back, no matter what, before our remaining seven days are up."

With bitterness and watery eyes, Eshe whispered, "I thought the Gods were supposed to be _merciful_. That's what Atem said before. Or was that a lie too?"

"They are, they- Eshe, the Gods made an exception for Atem, they felt they owed him this chance to find you again", Yugi explained, speeding up to match Eshe's frantic pace. He placed a hand on her arm and she pulled it back out of his grasp, but slowed down reluctantly, simply not in the mood for any physical contact.

Yugi sighed, "Maybe when you get your memories back, you'll think differently-"

"I don't want to think differently! I'm not the same as Queen Eshe, I'm my own person, I'm- I'm a different person", Eshe resumed her frenzied strides once more, her voice cracking with emotion, "It's not fair… it's not fair."

"Eshe, please, slow down!" Yugi called as he jogged to keep up, "Eshe-"

One moment, Eshe was walking briskly and purposefully away from Yugi in need of a moment alone, her emotions getting the better of her, and the next moment, she was being dragged kicking and screaming into an alley. Her mouth was covered by a firm hand to muffle her cries, and she saw Yugi swing around the corner and rush after her, calling her name in a panic.

The aggressive laughter that sounded right beside her ear sent a disgusting tingle of fear down her spine, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as Yugi dashed towards them.

"Oh, you want to come to?" came the voice of the perpetrator, his attention on the boy speeding into danger, an ill-natured chuckle leaving his mouth, and Eshe felt with a start the unmistakably point of the Millennium Puzzle digging into her back.

Her eyes widened as she struggled in the man's grip, venturing to make this as difficult for the nefarious magician as possible; if she could just spin around and grab the Puzzle, and then kick the asshole between the legs-

"No matter!" the cloaked man growled, "The more, the merrier!"

" _Let her go!_ " Yugi demanded; his usually friendly, innocent gaze had devolved into something intrinsically hostile, and his voice was low with warning.

The sinister man laughed again, and before Eshe could react, her feet left the ground and she was flung sideways into the wall. A sharp pain jolted through her head and she vaguely heard Yugi cry out, before she succumbed to darkness.

* * *

"Joey is in the house!"

Atem turned his head towards the door as the excitable blond entered the house with Téa and Tristan in tow; carrying their sleeping bags, the three friends walked into the living room to find the tanned boy sitting stiffly on the couch, his arms folded, legs crossed over one another, and a miserable look encompassing his face.

"What's up with you?" Tristan asked, a hint of concern in his tone, Téa frowned as Atem turned away, glaring down at the carpet.

"Eshe knows about the time limit, and that in seven days, we must return to the afterlife, _with_ her lost memories", Atem murmured sadly, "She didn't take it well."

"Ahh, crap. I'm sorry, dude", Joey responded apologetically as he sat down beside the boy, "Where is she?"

"She's gone to the store with Yugi. She didn't want to talk to me…"

"Can you blame her?" Téa spoke up, a sympathetic look on her face, and the others in the room looked up at her in surprise. "Do not give me that look, don't you think you'd feel terrible if you were told you had a week to let go of your whole life to go live on another plain of existence for eternity?"

Tristan's incredulous look melted down to a pout, "I guess when you put it like that…"

Atem shook his head slightly, "...I just hoped she'd understand."

Téa looked skeptical, "It's unfair to assume Eshe would be okay with it just like that", she accompanied her point with a snap of her fingers, "Maybe following the return of her memories, she'll feel differently. Give her some time."

"We don't have time", Atem spoke firmly, "This is impossible, there's no way we're going to succeed…"

" _Whoa, whoa, whoa_ , come on man, there's still things we haven't tried!" Joey exclaimed, he didn't like seeing his friend in such a state of despair- and since Yugi wasn't around to be his optimistic self, Joey felt the need to step in.

"No, I've tried everything!" Atem contended, jumping to his feet, making frantic hand movements as his spoke, "I've tried reminding her of the past, I've tried talking about it! It's stupid to think that would've worked. I'm sure of it now that the only way to restore her memories lies with her necklace, and _we don't have it_!"

"Then we need to get it back!" Joey yelled, grabbing Atem's collar, Téa made a noise of disagreement at the blond's manhandling, but was ignored, "Maybe we've been giving this the wrong approach the whole time, maybe we need to hunt down that bastard and storm in gun's blazing!"

"We don't have guns", Tristan pointed out, and Joey dropped his domineering disposition for a moment to turn to the brown-haired boy with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a figure o' speech, man", the blond told him, and Tristan mumbled an "oh, right", in response.

Atem grunted slightly as his hand circled Joey's wrist to pry him off, "That would be dangerous given I'm no longer in possession of the Millennium Puzzle."

"What's life without a few risks?" Joey contended, and Atem shook his head.

"We have to think about this. We can't just rush into a dangerous situation and expect everything to turn out okay", Atem spoke seriously, his eyes switching between the other three with a searching look, expecting one of them to back up his point of view.

"Atem, I… think I agree with Joey", Tristan spoke, shrugging his shoulders apologetically, and the tanned boy frowned, turning to Téa.

"What do you think?" Atem implored, and Téa sighed.

"I… I don't think we're going to achieve anything by sitting around, waiting for a miracle. We need to act, and if that means potentially putting out lives in danger, then so be it."

Atem didn't have time to respond to Téa's thoughts as they were interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing; he blinked a few times and reached into his pocket, pulling out the device that displayed Eshe's name on the caller ID. He sighed, hesitating, not for a moment thinking that there was something wrong with this picture.

"Hello?" he asked softly as he answered, hoping the girl he loved had changed her mind over her bristling reaction.

"Hello Atem", the deep voice that greeted him made his blood run cold.

Atem's friends recognised the fear in his eyes as his skin paled slightly, and the boy's jaw clenched. He drew in a shaky breath, and spoke as calmly as he could with the bubbling animosity rising below his words, "What do you want from me?"

The man on the other end of the phone let out a callous guffaw, "I have Eshe and I have Yugi", he stated with a taunting, tittering tone, " _Come and find meeee_ ", he sang, and promptly hung up.

* * *

At the first speck of light breaking through the blackness of her barely-there vision, Eshe hissed, head reeling from the pain throbbing insistently against her right temple; she shut her eyes tight, which did nothing to help the ache, and tried to grasp at reality so as not to fall back into the darkness that was calling to her.

Instead of submitting to unconsciousness, she pushed herself to remain alert, the unclear fuzziness of her vision merged into a blur, and she could make out that she appeared to be inside a cage of some sort; dull moonlight trickled in through high windows from across the room and she saw someone moving about.

The figure drew closer to the cage, leaning down to smile malignantly; the black hood still covering his face; Eshe's sense of touch returned to her with growing consciousness and she noted the aches in her body, and that her face was pressed against the base of the enclosure.

"Nice to see you're awake", his voice sounded far away at first, but the longer he talked, the sharper the sound became, "I was beginning to think I'd been a little too rough with you. I didn't mean to give you a concussion; I fixed that up as best as I could with a little-", he paused to wiggling his fingers, "-healing touch. But I didn't want to fix it completely, hence the intolerable headache you must be experiencing."

Eshe breathed in, her throat felt raspy and dry, and she released a grunt of pain, "Where's Y-Yugi?"

The man smirked, glancing across the room, "In more or less the same predicament as you, except a little more responsive", he answered, and Eshe strained her neck with a groan, looking in the direction the man had motioned with his head, and she saw Yugi trapped within a human-sized birdcage, standing upright as he gripped the metal bars, a livid expression on his wide-eyed face. Eshe realised they were trapped inside the same warehouse as before.

Gritting her teeth, she groaned as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, trying to ignore her pounding head, "You son of a bitch… you won't get away with this. Our friends will come for us…"

The man erupted with genuine laughter, " _Oh!_ Your _friends!_ I'm soooo scared!" he snorted, "Because they were _so_ much help to you last time."

Eshe's eye twitched angrily, her gaze falling to the glinting Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck, and she seethed, "I mean it… you won't get away with this, Rura", despite herself, she felt a sudden bold, burst of confidence to threaten the corrupt magician.

Or, she would have, if the man hadn't begun to laugh. His piercing glee cutting through the grim atmosphere of the room, and Eshe's credence melted away, back into fear.

"Oh, Eshe. Leela was right about you, for someone usually so perceptive, _you are blind_."

He ripped his hood off, revealing his face, and Eshe felt her breath catch in her throat.

It wasn't Rura.

Sandy hair fell down to his shoulders, framing his face, and his penetrating green eyes, wide and shattering, glared into her soul.

It was Atsu.

* * *

 **Notes: I'm very excited to read all of your reviews for this chapter... ;)**


	27. Just Like A King Who's Losing His Worth

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-Six: Just Like A King Who's Losing His Worth

Eshe was truly an idiot.

It wasn't Rura. It was _never_ Rura. No evidence had pointed to the stoic student magician being the mysterious culprit; she had just picked certain parts of her memories - which still weren't even close to being restored - and she'd made a silly assumptions based on just a few contextless clues.

Idiot. _Idiot._ _Idiot!_

Despite the many indications that pointed to Rura _not_ being the cloaked foe, Eshe had so readily dismissed the notion that it couldn't have been him; the memories she'd seen had been so selective, only showing her the times she had been wary of the withdrawn spellcaster, and _foolishly_ she had reached a flawed conclusion.

Because it was so easy to believe that the quiet, indifferent, uncommunicative magician was the bad guy.

Of course, catching Rura in Mahad's quarters, holding a restricted spell book, was very dubious and the main thing that had led her to pin him as the foe - but just like everything else, the scene lacked context. Why had Queen Eshe been marching so confidently into Mahad's chambers, expecting to find the student magician in a compromising situation?

It was suspect that the Queen had been so decided that she would find Rura in those chambers, but Eshe had just _assumed_ she had been previously informed by a guard, or at least someone trustworthy.

Why had Queen Eshe, in a moment of callousness, sentenced Rura to imprisonment without a fair trial?

Instead of trying to come up with a possible explanation, her mistake had been to _assume_ there was an adequate reason for the Queen's surefire conviction.

There was nothing suggesting that Rura intended to use the spells for any malicious reasons.

 _But she had just assumed._

Unhesitant and unfaltering, she had sentenced a seemingly innocent man to a punishment he did not deserve.

As always, retrospect made her look like a fool.

From what her memories had revealed to her, she knew that Rura was skilled in destructive magic - spells of flames and lightning, aggressive and vicious, but perhaps Rura wished to learn such magic so that if a powerful enemy arose, he would be able to protect those he was loyal to without struggle.

Rura's movements were stiff and mechanical, his face calm and calculating, and his speech was aloof and monotonous - a stark opposite to Atsu, so full of expression in his exaggerated movements and characterful tone of voice.

Eshe only ever saw Rura clothed in flawless, unspoilt, white robes - a serious contrast, she realised, to Atsu's black cloak which was dirty and beginning to fray around the edges that dragged along the dusty floor.

But as Eshe searched her mind for a smidgen of evidence or a clear motive that aligned Atsu's identity with the mysterious, shrouded magician, she came up blank. Nothing she knew suggested that Atsu was so diabolical and perfidious.

And here he unmistakably was, aged in appearance, different from the boy in her dreams - Atsu's hair was longer now, shaggy and unkempt above his shoulders, his matured face suggested he was at least in his late thirties.

His lips curled into a duplicitous smile, delighted at the shock on Eshe's face over this startling reveal; Eshe could only stare, her lips quivering as she thought of something to say, until a pitiful "H-how?" left her mouth.

"It's fascinating, isn't it?" Atsu spoke as he pulled his hood back up, bending down before the cage Eshe was trapped within to stare her in the eyes, "How easily your mind can be influenced by a few fleeting comments from those you trust?"

Eshe's eyes twitched.

" _Ra, he's so strange."_ Dalila had told her off-handedly.

" _He treats me so condescendingly, not as an equal."_ Rura had informed her, so purposefully, painting himself the victim.

Eshe hadn't trusted Rura from the beginning, because Atsu and Dalila had conditioned her not to with a few quick comments.

She had been led to believe a lie.

* * *

Atem was dangling off of the proverbial precipice of terror, hanging on by only a thread like his slowly splintering composure; with his hand raised to cover his mouth, he clenched his jaw almost painfully in an effort to force himself to stay calm.

That fiend had Eshe and Yugi, and he had been sat at home moping while they were presumably cornered and overpowered by the corrupt magician.

How could he let this happen? He'd been careless once again, he was supposed to watch out for them. His wife and his brother had been taken; he should've been with them.

 _He was supposed to protect them_.

His darting eyes refused to settle on anything in particular, and he struggled to keep his breathing slow as he imagined what the formidable foe might be doing to the two closest to him.

"Atem, calm down, man", Tristan was the first to speak upon witnessing Atem's flagrant show of badly-restrained distress, "What did he say?"

Atem's hand tightened into a fist, his resolve growing weaker as his fear grew stronger, "He- he just said he has them- Eshe and Yugi. And that… I should come and find him", he spoke through gritted teeth, trying and failing to conceal his fluctuating emotions, "W-what if he hurts them?"

Before Tristan could say anything more to help Atem simmer down, Téa's gasp broke through the tension, and the boy's looked to her, before turning to where she was staring with an apprehensive look on her face.

Grandpa stood in the doorway, his face very worried, "Atem? What are you talking about? Where's Yugi?" the old man asked fearfully, having just caught the end of the boy's words.

Atem's hands shook, remorse overcoming him as he looked up at the elderly man with shame, "I… I- I'm sorry… I should've told you-"

"Should have told me what?" There was a hint of trepidation in grandpa's voice, "Atem, what's happened, my boy?"

Swallowing thickly, Atem quickly turned away, unable to face his honorary grandfather while he spoke his next words, "Yugi… is in danger, and so is Eshe. There's- this man, he's been after Eshe, and... and it's my fault…"

" _No_ ", Joey protested, "It's not your fault, dammit!" The blond grabbed Atem by the shoulder and spun him around, the tanned boy looked up in surprise at Joey's outburst.

"When are you gonna stop blaming yourself for everything that happens that's out of your control!?" Joey exclaimed, and Atem's eyes fell, unable to meet the blond's determined gaze.

"Atem", Grandpa spoke, drawing the tanned boy's contrite attention, "I don't know why you kept this from me… and I expect a _full_ explanation of what's going on later, but what's important is that Yugi and Eshe are back here, _safe_ , so stay focused, my boy, and stop blaming yourself for the actions of others."

Atem grinded his teeth, mulling over the elderly man's words, until eventually he let out a sigh. While he still refused to blame anyone but himself, grandpa was right about one thing; he needed to pull himself together and figure out a way to get Yugi and Eshe back safely.

With a nod, Atem assured the old man, "I will bring them back."

Téa smiled as the tanned boy managed to regain his composure, and she placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a purposeful look, " _And_ before you spout any nonsense about going alone, remember that we're all in this together, and we'll be right there with you", the blue-eyed girl stated firmly.

Atem gave her a small smile and nodded his head, "Thank you, I don't think I could do this alone."

Grandpa frowned as he looked over the four kids, "Is it just you four going alone?" the old man worried, "Oh, please be careful…"

Atem blinked, his eyes darting down to his phone, before he rose an eyebrow, his small smile curling into something stronger, "I don't think it has to be just the four of us…"

Joey tilted his head in confusion as Atem began to dial in some numbers, "Huh? Who you callin'?"

"You'll see", Atem spoke, holding the phone up to his ear; the rest of the group watched curiously as the boy's call was answered and he cleared his throat, hesitantly inquiring, "...Kaiba?"

From the other end of the line, the group clearly made out the CEO's icy voice respond, " _From the tone of your voice, it's obvious you're about to ask me for a favour, so you better be aware that you owe me at least five duels as it stands."_

Atem sighed, "Yes, fine, I need your help."

From beside him, Joey cringed slightly, "Jeez, I know we need all the help we can get and that we're pretty desperate, but asking moneybags for help?"

Téa gave Joey an exasperated look, "Joey, swallow your pride for just a moment, please?"

Joey shrugged sheepishly, "I'm just sayin'!"

" _What exactly are you asking me to do?_ " the young CEO pressed, and Atem steeled himself for a moment before speaking.

"Eshe and Yugi have been taken, and I have an idea where, but I need to be sure", he explained, "I know you're resourceful… is there any way you can help me locate them?"

The multi-billionaire sounded extremely smug, " _Of course, that's child's play. I can hack the GPS in their phones._ "

Atem nodded gratefully, before realising that Kaiba couldn't actually see him, " _Thank you_ , Kaiba."

Atem was not entirely powerless, he had his wits, he had his strength, and he had his friends by his side; together, they would confront the foe like they always did, and they would find a way to defeat the evil.

 _Like they always did._

* * *

The pain in Eshe's head had not yet alleviated since she'd awoken from being knocked out almost an hour ago, and she was beginning to feel nauseous as a result; she laid against the base of the cage she was trapped in, her head pillowed in her arms as she blinked her eyes slowly, willing the pain to lessen, but to no avail.

Yugi knelt across from her, caught within his own entrapment, his hands clutching the metallic bars that held him as he tried to acquire Eshe's regard without alerting Atsu, who stood with his back to them, quiet and waiting.

With Eshe's head buried in her arms, there was no way she could see Yugi frantically waving his hands to grasp her attention; reluctantly he tried whispering.

"Eshe", he breathed, his gaze lingering on Atsu's back as he spoke as softly as he could without alerting the man, "Eshe, are you alright?"

The distant, hushed noise of Yugi speaking made her raise her head with a cut-off groan; her brain felt like it was pulsing behind her eyes and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep it off, but everything in the subconscious fight-or-flight area of her mind rebelled at the idea of falling asleep in such an environment.

Catching Yugi's concerned gaze, Eshe blinked a few times, not quite able to make out what the boy was trying to say; she squinted, shaking her head ever so slightly, wincing as the motion only enhanced the ache within.

Eshe watched as Yugi witnessed the sorry state she was in and proceeded to bite his lips, his head turning as he observed the details of the confines they were held within.

Two large, metallic birdcages - Eshe was sure there was supposed to be some poetic symbolism hidden there but she did not have the willpower to try and detect it at that moment - placed adjacent, a few metres apart in the middle of the warehouse, they were well out of each other's reach.

Yugi was trying to communicate something to her, but once again, her pain-addled mind could not quite make out his words, and if he spoke any louder, Atsu would absolutely hear him. With sheer force of will, Eshe pushed herself up, dragging her body to the very edge of the cage; she looked through lidded eyes, obliging herself to concentrate, and observed as Yugi's hands tightened on the bars and pulled at them forcefully.

Eshe frowned, wondering what on Earth he was doing.

Yugi glared at the bars, his eyebrow quirking in perplexity, and he looked to Eshe, pointing at the metallic confines with a shrug to his shoulders. Eshe shook her head as if to say ' _what are you trying to tell me?_ '

The boy let out an involuntary sigh, before worriedly looking over Atsu, who continued to stand motionless, facing away. Slowly, Yugi stood within the cage, moving to the centre; he pointed above to wear the confinement curved in, the metal bars fusing together unobtrusively, and then he pointed to the base of the cage around the edges, where once again, the surrounding bars merged into it unremarkably.

Eshe shrugged. If Yugi was trying to tell her they were trapped in cages, then he was a little late on the ball - she had noticed that a while ago.

Yugi shut his eyes frustratedly for a moment, before frantically motioning all around him, pointing to the repetitive structure that held him secure. He grabbed at the bars again and tried to pull them apart, and suddenly, Eshe realised what he was trying to say.

She looked confusedly at her own dwelling, her eyes flicking slowly from the base to the top, and frowned.

There were no doors.

There was no hatch, no padlock keeping them closed in - there was simply no exit to either cage. Exactly how the hell had they been deposited into the traps in the first place?

How the hell would they _get out?_

The thought set off a wave of panic inside Eshe, her apprehensive gaze darting back and forth in desperate search of a way out of her prison; she swallowed thickly, her claustrophobia rearing it's ugly head as tears sprung to her eyes.

"Eshe", Yugi whispered through the bars in response to her rising fluster; obviously he had not meant to alarm her with his scrutinization of their confinements, "It's okay, we'll get out of-"

" _Silence!_ " came Atsu's daunting shriek, startling them both, and with a swift wave of the depraved magician's hand, the metallic bars Yugi grasped turned red hot, and the boy released them with a shocked cry.

Eshe gasped as Yugi blew frantically on his sore palms, the skin growing pink from being pressed to the heated metal; she turned her furious gaze on the cloaked magician, " _Don't hurt him, asshole!_ " Her fear of the enclosed space forgotten, she once again grew intrepid and endeavoured to taunt the nefarious man before her.

Atsu drew close, stepping intimidatingly up to the cage that held her, peeking at the girl from under his hood, "You know, _Eshe_ , with a snap of my fingers, I could snap you. So if I were you, I'd shut the fuck up."

Eshe seethed, glaring at the man through gritted teeth, she persisted with her goading even as Yugi shook his head across from her, imploring her to stay quiet, "How exactly could someone like you orchestrate all of this? You couldn't change a lotus to a daisy, how in the fuck did you master a spell on reincarnation, and- whatever the fuck else you did to me!?"

Atsu revealed his sharp teeth in a pointy grin that showed he was not taking the bait of Eshe's insulting words, and instead, he began to chuckle darkly, "Oh, Eshe. You were so naive- you still are, for that matter", he spoke softly, his voice low, and he opened his palm, conjuring a lotus flower out of nowhere.

Eshe stared at the beautiful flower, a floral bundle opening up and arching out from the centre of the bloom, each softly-textured white petal growing pink at the tips; it was just like the one from her memory, the one Atsu had cruelly plucked from its home atop the lilypad on the surface of the pond.

"To think the bright student magician, so fond of transfiguration, couldn't conduct a simple alteration spell."

With only the slightest twitch of his finger, the lotus mutated, the white petals becoming pristine and pointed, the centre growing brightly yellow. It no longer looked soft, but instead, sharp and honed; the flower had transformed into a large daisy.

It was captivating to watch an innocent display of magic happen right up close, it left her slightly bewildered, and for a moment her brain sought out an explanation for it as if Atsu had just performed a simple sleight-of-hand trick.

No, this was _real_ magic. Real, safe, inoffensive magic.

At once, the flower burst into flames in Atsu's palm and Eshe flinched, drawing back as she eyed the man in disbelief, "Why are you doing this, Atsu?"

The magician let the dead flower slip from his palm, and it fell, the flames eating up the remainder of the delicate petals before it hit the ground into a pile of ashes.

Atsu smiled, "Because I can."

Eshe had never hated anyone in her life more than the man before her, not her negligent aunt and uncle, not Leela for her betrayal, not even that son of a bitch Donnie Drago. Atsu chose to torment her and her friends, he chose to hurt Yugi, he chose the steal the Puzzle and God cards, all because he _could_. What did the man intend to accomplish?

"But _why_?" Eshe cried, "This doesn't make sense! You were my friend- you and Dalila both!"

Atsu sighed, his eyes falling shut as he smiled condescendingly, "My sister may have been your friend, but I never saw you as such."

Eshe shook her head in disbelief, "No, you- you _were_ my friend! I- I've seen the memories…" Atsu's claim was unbelievable, in her memories he was always there, hanging out with both herself and Dalila, making her laugh by acting goofy, always with a smile on his face.

"No", Atsu responded, shaking his head, "It was simple deception. A facade."

Eshe's mouth fell open, her vision momentarily growing fuzzy from the persistent headache she was experiencing, "No… I would have… noticed…" she couldn't accept that she would be so easily misguided by someone who seemed so _friendly._

"Your perception was often clouded, distracted by other things, like _love_ ", Atsu spoke the word mockingly, "Always preoccupied by thoughts of the prince- Dalila hated that, you know. She loved you, but you didn't give her a second glance." The way he spoke made Eshe feel guilty, as if she was supposed to know Dalila's feelings for her.

Eshe's gaze fell back to the pile of ashes, frustrated and ashamed that she'd been led astray so effortlessly by this man; and now, thanks to her terrible judgement, Yugi was a part of Atsu's iniquitous plans.

With a rueful look to Yugi, who was looking defiantly at Atsu, still holding out his sore palms, Eshe gave a weary sigh, "What do you want with us?"

Atsu smirked, "Now, if I told you, it wouldn't be as fun now, would it?"

Eshe clenched her jaw, biting her tongue to keep from spitting out something snarky that could possibly get her hurt.

The look in Atsu's shaded green eyes changed and he straightened up, pulling the hood down to cover to top half of his face, "Well, it seems your friends have arrived; how about we begin?"

A stab of anxiety rushed through Eshe and she inhaled a shaky breath as Atsu resumed his position with his back to the cages, facing the closed doors of the warehouse; she gave a nervous look to Yugi and the boy apprehensively looked on to the entrance, where they presumed their friends' imminent arrival.

Eshe could hear her heart beating furiously, pumping blood through her ears, in the deafening silence of the room; and then, shadows appeared around the edges of the door, blocking the fragile moonlight barely creeping in.

Muffled voices sounded, and Eshe knew it was her friends.

Unlike the last time she was caught up inside this warehouse, the entrance doors opened slowly and cautiously, revealing familiar silhouettes stepping guardedly into the building. Eshe squinted, making out a couple more figures than she expected, and as they stepped into the dim lunar light shining in from the broken windows, her eyes widened.

"Seto?" she gasped.

Seto and Mokuba Kaiba accompanied her friends, to her surprise, and both of them adopted an expression that suggested they weren't here to waste time - which seemed like a highly unusual look for the younger of the two, who Eshe had only ever seen wearing a cheerful smile.

The icy-eyed CEO glanced over Eshe at her hushed exclamation and gave her a drab look, "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm here because I heard the Pharaoh let some loser steal his God cards, that's all."

Despite her pained condition, Eshe felt herself smile at the CEO's desperate attempt to prove he lacks basic empathy; she wasn't buying it, however.

Joey, Tristan and Téa were there looking utterly determined, their faces devoid of fear, and Eshe commended how brave her friends were, even marching into something unknown that had previously proved to be dangerous.

Atem was the first to step forward, his eyes landing on Eshe and Yugi, before falling on the cloaked magician before them. Eshe could see the furious look in the tanned boy's eyes from across the room; she watched Atem's fists clench at his sides before he spoke, his voice domineering and angry.

" _Let my friends go._ "

Eshe watched as Atsu crossed his arms, head tilting slightly as he responded, an underlying tone of amusement in his voice, "Heh. No. Did you really think it would be that easy?"

Atem's expression darkened, "Rura, you don't need to do this."

Releasing a string of profanities in her mind, Eshe realised that Atem was still unaware of the true identity of the cloaked man, and immediately jumped to rectify that, " _Atem, it's-_ "

Before she could get another word out, Atsu raised his hand and immediately a strip of cloth appeared, gagging her mouth and trying itself around the back of her head; she grunted with muffled, surprised cries as her hands flew up to try and release it, and her face burned from humiliation.

" _Stop!_ " She heard Atem shout, but Atsu had turned to her with his foul smile.

"Now, now, Eshe, be quiet and let the boy speak", Atsu spoke with condescension filling his words, though Eshe refused to cease her struggles to remove the makeshift gag, and the strain was only fuelling the ache in her mind.

" _You don't need to do this_ ", Atem repeated, "Rura, you were a good student- Mahad always spoke highly of you, that's why he considered making you his successor. Mahad trusted you- and I know you were loyal to him! He wouldn't want this, think about what you're doing!"

Eshe grunted helplessly behind the gag, cursing herself for sharing with Atem her belief that the foe was Rura; the boy's reasoning words were falling on the wrong ears, and would probably only serve to irritate Atsu more than placate him.

Atsu gave a malignant chuckle, "Well, you're right about one thing. That fool Mahad did speak highly of Rura. Too highly."

Atem's face scrunched up in confusion at the cloaked magician's response, until Atsu pulled back his hood, revealing his very non-Rura-like appearance.

With narrowed eyes, Atem glared at the man, "You're not Rura", he stated, though he didn't seem entirely surprised, given what he knew of Mahad's always-immaculately-dressed pupil.

Atsu laughed, "Of course I'm not, you _fool_ ", the bitter magician reached into the inner pocket of his robes, "Now, let's get started, shall we?"

"What are you planning?" Atem growled, shifting on his feet to a more guarded position; Joey and Tristan stepped up to his side, ready to jump into action if need be.

From his pocket, Atsu procured a familiar lapis necklace layered in gold; he held it aloft in his crooked-fingered grip and smiled a toothy smile. Eshe seethed, the conjured gag around her mouth loosening briefly enough for her to pull it out of her mouth; she coughed a few times, eyes scrunched up in pain from the reverberation in her skull that did absolutely nothing to help her pounding head.

"That doesn't belong to you", Atem sneered, "Give it back!"

Atsu rolled his eyes, tittering darkly, "Watch, _pharaoh_. Witness three-thousand years of pent-up dark energy."

The necklace began to emit what looked like black smoke, crawling through the gaps between his fingers, which preceded an unfriendly hissing sound; the necklace itself appeared to be shrouded in corruption.

Atem took a daring step forward, "What have you done?" his deep voice held a note of fear that was audible to only the most astute ears in the room.

Slowly, Atsu lowered the necklace and hung it around his neck; the moment he released it and let it fall down against his chest, the dusky black mist extended, obscuring the vision of everyone in the room. Atsu's bellowing voice howled, piercing through the blackness, and at once, the dark fumes culminated spherically around the corrupt magician; Eshe shivered in fear, watching as her friends stepped away from the fizzling, harmful haze, even Seto, usually so stoic and unstirred, observed the madness with a perturbed expression.

As the dark smog dispersed, in its wake stood Atsu, slightly hunched, his eyes terrifying with pinprick pupils, but the most haunting sight were the black stringy veins, visible below his skin, creeping up his neck and wrists.

"W-what the-", Tristan stuttered, lips curled back in disgust as he stepped back from the warped monstrosity of a man.

The Millennium Puzzle vibrated around the neck of the pernicious man, as though it was fighting to escape Atsu's clutches, and a low rumble left the magician's throat, a strangled cry that quickly mutated into a repulsive laugh.

"Now, pharaoh", Atsu snarled, and jerked his hand back, a wisp of purplish-black dancing around his fingers, and with startling suddenness, Eshe and Yugi yelped, falling down as the cages they were trapped in lifted off the floor, levitating a few metres above the ground, "This is where you choose", the man's voice was hellish, a demonic rasp in comparison to his previously tuneful tone.

"Choose?" Atem whispered, his worrying eyes flicking up and between the caged individuals.

"That's right", Atsu barked, and with another flick of his wrist, two swirling apertures appeared below each cage, "These portals lead to certain death. I have the two people you love most in the world, now, choose. _Choose, pharaoh_ , which one lives and which ones dies!? You have one minute to decide-"

Atem's mouth fell open in shock, his eyes shimmering with fear.

"-Or they _both_ die."

Eshe's throat went dry from panic, her breaths turning raspy as her gaze landed on Atem and she watched the weak shake of his head as he was forced to make an impossible choice; she looked to Yugi, whose hands shook relentlessly. Eshe didn't want to die, but she didn't want Yugi to die either; she didn't know what to do, she didn't know what Atem was going to do.

Her anxious hysteria rushed through her mind and immersed her in darkness.

* * *

 _The Egyptian landscape was always at its peak of beauty in the evening, the golden hour, the time before the sun chose to set below the horizon; the glow conjured gorgeous colours to dance across the land and spiral into the sky._

 _The distant pyramids, black silhouettes, while orange and red enveloped the sandy desert in waves; hues of violet and pink flooding the sky and forming an image that would remain in Eshe's mind forever._

 _Sighing softly, Eshe relaxed into the warm arms that held her, leaning back against the sturdy chest of her husband; she felt his face nuzzling against her hair and smiled lazily at the sweet gesture._

" _Atem", Eshe whispered._

" _Mmm?" the boy behind her hummed, the vibration in his throat rumbling in her ear._

" _It's your coronation tomorrow", she spoke softly, before giggling quietly. As if he didn't already know._

" _Yes", Atem responded, pulling Eshe tighter to his chest._

" _You become Pharaoh of Egypt tomorrow", Eshe murmured, her hands snaking down his forearms to rest over his wrists._

" _And you become Queen", Atem replied, his voice so deep and pleasant, sending delightful tingles down Eshe's spine._

" _Mmm", Eshe hummed, a playful smile growing on her lips, "You're going to be so busy as King… will you still have time for me?"_

 _Atem's secure hold loosened around her and he turned her around to face him, a content smile on his face, "You're the most important thing in the world to me", he whispered, "You always come first, no matter what."_

 _Eshe's face grew pink at his words and she pressed herself against him once more, basking in the soft, firm arms of her husband, "Atem…" she whispered, eyes growing slightly misty even as she smiled, "Hold me forever."_

 _Atem tilted his head down, brushing his lips across her temple, "That might be difficult during my coronation", he joked, and Eshe giggled, pushing herself onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth._

 _Eshe watched Atem's eyes glimmer with adoration, she could see thoughts swimming through his mind as he stared down at her, his arms tightened around her as his gaze grew sharper, a more serious look befalling his features._

" _I won't ever let anything happen to you", he told her firmly, and Eshe's eyebrow knitted, his proclamation seemingly coming from nowhere, "I'll always do everything in my power to make sure you're safe."_

 _Eshe smiled, a hint of confusion in her eyes, "Atem, the war ended long ago. Our kingdom is prosperous and we are at peace with bordering countries. We're the safest we've ever been."_

 _Atem's frown softened, and his smile returned, "Sorry, I'm just… I'm nervous about tomorrow, and I have this feeling inside me that things won't go as planned…"_

 _Eshe raised her hand, brushing her thumb against her husband's cheek, "Everything will be fine. Mahad is in charge of making sure the palace is secure, there will be guards posted at every entrance, nothing bad will happen", she promised him, "But if it makes you feel any better-" she gave the boy a wink, "I'll do my utmost to never let anything bad happen to you either, my pharaoh."_

 _Atem bit his lip to hide the smile on his face, "I'm not pharaoh yet", he murmured amusedly, and then his voice became firm once more, "and don't you ever put yourself in danger for my sake."_

 _Eshe looked up at the boy defiantly, a slight pout on her lips, "Then don't_ _ **you**_ _ever put yourself in danger for_ _ **my**_ _sake."_

 _Atem quirked an eyebrow, "But I just told you, I'll always protect you."_

" _Then I'll always protect you!" Eshe spoke, a smirk pulling at her lips._

" _No- that's not-" Atem stammered, and then grumbled, "Listen to me, don't ever put yourself in harms way to help me. I forbid it."_

" _That's not fair", Eshe contended, "You can't do that!"_

 _Atem smirked, "I'm pharaoh, I can do what I want."_

 _With a pointed look, Eshe snarkily responded, "Um,_ _ **actually**_ _, I think you'll find you're not pharaoh yet-"_

 _Before she could get the rest of her sentence out, Atem's fingers assaulted her stomach, tickling her mercilessly, which forced involuntary, squealing laughter from Eshe's mouth, "Stop it! Stooooppppp!" she cried as she struggled out of his grasp._

* * *

" _Stop!_ "

"Thirty seconds, pharaoh, you should really hurry up and make your decision."

Eshe groaned quietly, blinking her eyes open, waking up disorientedly for the second time in just over an hour; she wrestled with her mind for a moment to try and remember what was going on before she blacked out.

" _Please stop! I- I can't!_ "

Eshe rolled onto her side, grunting as she pushed herself up again, and looked across the room below, familiarising herself with the sight of her friends' panic-stricken faces. She hadn't been unconscious long.

"Twenty-five seconds", Atsu hissed, mirth lining his voice.

Eshe grinded her teeth; she saw Tristan and Joey inching forward as if to pounce; poor Téa was covering her face, unable to watch. Mokuba looked torn, and Seto was baring his teeth at the predicament.

"Twenty seconds", Atsu reminded them, and Eshe shut her eyes tightly; she knew what was bound to happen before their time was up, and she wouldn't let it transpire. Not again.

"Atem", Eshe called, "It's okay… save Yugi."

Atem looked at her like she'd grown a second head, his petrified gaze, so daunting and filled with conflict; he shook his head, "N-no, I can't…"

"Fifteen seconds."

" _No!_ Save Eshe! It's okay Atem, don't worry about me!" Yugi sprung forth with watery eyes; Atem's head oscillated between the two, silent in desperation, completely lost on what course of action to take.

" _Atem!_ If you don't choose, we're both going to die. Save Yugi! You told me yourself that I have to go to the afterlife in a week anyway, it makes sense!" Eshe cried, gripping the bars to tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Eshe has a point", Seto spoke up, looking expectantly to Atem, "Don't be an idiot, save Yugi."

"Ten seconds", Atsu called, his smile growing.

"But without her memories, Eshe can't go to the afterlife!" Joey exclaimed, looking wildly between everyone in the room; he grabbed Atem's shoulder frantically and the tanned boy shoved in hands into his hair, fingers tightening on the strands in hopelessness.

" _Five seconds!"_

" _WAIT!"_ Atem pulled away from Joey, "Please, you _can't_ \- please, spare them, take me instead!" His wide eyes pleaded with the vile magician, "Please…"

Eshe's eyes slipped closed in defeat; she knew firsthand how willing Atem was to sacrifice himself for those he loved, she knew it would come to this, "No…"

"You idiot!" Seto hissed.

"Atem, you can't!" Téa cried.

Yugi began to protest, until Atsu spoke, and the group fell silent.

The magician regarded Atem with a smile, his tiny pupils darting from the tanned boy to his friends behind him, "You'd give your life to save them", he stated, and Atem blinked rapidly, unsure whether it was being posed as a question.

"Every time", he answered through gritted teeth, and Atsu huffed a laugh.

"A noble sacrifice", the sandy-haired magician spoke, "Such an altruistic act- it baffles me, truly, why you would put their lives before your own. That's a very selfless choice you've decided on, Atem, and, unfortunately for you… not one of the options I gave you."

The tense moment of silence was so soul-destroying to Eshe, and the moment Atem registered the words he had been told, she couldn't stand to look at his face.

"No!" Atem cried.

The bases of the cages disappeared so suddenly, and neither Eshe nor Yugi had time to think about it, because they were falling. Falling and screaming, and then, their cries cut out at once; the portals faded from existence.

" _NO!"_ Atem froze, the sounds of his friends despairing cries so deafening in his ears. He couldn't move, he couldn't think. He'd just lost the two people he cared most about.

They were gone.

"YOU MONSTER!" Tristan screamed, and darted forwards in fury.

Before anyone could blink, a black aperture appeared and swallowed the brown-haired boy up; Atem's jaw went slack and he stumbled forward to the spot where Tristan had disappeared.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Joey cried, and in turn, he too fell through a shrouded threshold in an instant.

"Joey!" Mokuba gasped, closest to where the blond had stood; out of reflex he moved forwards as if to grab the tall boy before he could disappear, but he too dropped through.

"No, Mokuba!" Seto was next; one moment he was there and the next he was gone.

Atem's legs wobbled in place as he heard Téa cry of terror, and gravely, as quick as he could, he ran towards the only one of his friends that remained.

He was not fast enough.

The ground swallowed Téa up, her final cry of his name piercing the proverbial barrier around his mind as she disappeared; Atem fell to the hard ground, crying in anguish, angry tears rolling down his cheeks.

And he was alone.

"No… no… no!" he screamed, and his wailing was met with cold, malicious laughter.

"You see, Atem. You are powerless, you are worthless, and now your friends are all dead", the grating voice of the magician growled.

Atem's body shook as it wracked with sobs, Atsu's words digging into him and picking him apart. He had failed to keep Eshe safe, he had failed to keep Yugi safe, and he'd failed to keep all of his friends from harm.

"You're nothing."

Something snapped in Atem's mind, and he lurched to his feet, lunging across the dusty floor as quickly as his legs could carry him, a breakneck sprint towards the unmoving magician; Atem raised his fist, tightened and pulled back, ready to swing, and in a flash, he ran headfirst into a coal-black gateway.

Atsu glared at the spot Atem had just occupied, flicking his wrist to dispel the portal that had opened up on his command; his hands fell down to his sides as silence returned to the warehouse, nothing but the glimmering light peeking through the broken windows causing a stir.

With a stifled grunt, Atsu grabbed the Lavalliere necklace hanging against his chest, and pulled it over his head, slumping as he breathed hard and hoarsely, a strained cough leaving his throat. The black veins below his skin retracted, returning to normal, and the man's hands shook almost uncontrollably for a few moments.

Wordlessly, he flexed his palm, and the necklace dematerialised.

* * *

Atem passed through the void before he could stop himself, a sickly feeling overcoming him as he appeared to be free-falling for a long moment, before his feet touched solid ground again, his raised fist continued its downward descent and connected hard with a coarse, rigid, structure, a nauseating crack reverberating in his ears. The shock of impact sent pain through his knuckles and crawled from his hand up the length of his arm to the elbow; the boy let out a loud, wounded shout as the rest of him slammed into the wall, and his body crumpling down in a pitiful heap.

 _Eshe… Yugi…_

The overwhelming mourning that had enveloped him just moments ago had practically drained him; the steady belief that he'd stood powerless while each of his friends were taken from him hung heavily in his mind. He couldn't do anything, he'd just stood there in shock. What kind of horrible person was he? To just freeze in place while his friends were in jeopardy.

The boy clutched his wrist, distressed grunts leaving his mouth at the shattering pain in his fist; he glared down through tear-blurred vision at his injured hand, the skin of his knuckles shredded from grazing against the rough surface of the wall he was leaning on. His hand was already beginning to pulse uncomfortably, turning hot and red from the growing contusion.

He bravely flexed his fingers, wincing and biting his lip to restrain a cry in response to the agony that rushed through his nerves; he cradled his damaged hand close to his body, raising his head to observe his surroundings.

Atem leaned heavily against a grey, stone wall; the ground at his feet was nothing more than dried, dead grass, and as he looked up directly above him, he couldn't see where the top of the wall ended. All around him, a misty fog settled on darkness, and to his right, he saw a sconce attached to the wall, giving off a pathetic amount of light, but enough for him to get a basic idea of the immediate environment.

Nothing in every direction, except the wall behind him; he rose to his feet, looking left and right across the seeable length of the structure against his back. He did not know which way led to civilisation, so he turned right and guided himself along the wall, passing under the weak light source in hopes of finding another somewhere along the line.

He knew not where he was, he didn't know where Atsu had sent him, or indeed where Atsu had gone himself.

One thing was for sure, however.

He was alive.

And that meant his friends were too. Hopefully.

Maybe he hadn't failed them yet.

* * *

For perhaps the millionth time that day, Eshe awoke in a state of unbridled confusion; her head felt like it was going to burst, and the insistent throbbing helped her realise that she was not dead. She was very much alive.

With a deep inhale, followed by a groan of discomfort, Eshe blinked her eyes open, lifting her head off of the hard floor; she felt as though she had just fallen from the peak of the tallest tree ever and hit every branch on the way down. With a glance across the darkened room, Eshe noticed Yugi curled up on the ground, motionless.

"Yugi?" she whispered, her quiet voice hoarse, "Yugi?" she repeated when he did not respond.

His head moved, and Eshe breathed a sigh of relief, pushing herself into a sitting position as she looked around the room.

"Eshe?" Yugi groaned, rolling over onto his back, "Where are we?"

Eshe shook her head, eyeing the dimly lit room. The last thing she remembered was hurtling through the air and landing in darkness; she had no idea at which point she had ended up in an enclosed room, no sign of daylight anywhere.

An uneasy shiver ran through her, unnerved at the tightness of the area and apparent lack of a door, once again it was unclear as to how they'd ended up in their confines. Three of the four sandstone brick walls surrounding them were bare, and one of them was decorated with a lonesome torch, the flames flickering meagerly.

"Yugi", Eshe whispered, "We're not dead."

"I know", Yugi replied, "Meaning Atsu was lying?" The boy looked down at the raw skin of his palms, "I'm sure he could've killed us if he really wanted to… so what gives?"

Eshe grinded her teeth angrily, "He was fucking with us", she hissed, "He didn't intend to kill us, not yet anyway… he was just… _playing_ with us."

Yugi frowned, nodding in agreement, before glancing over their surroundings, "I think he still might be…" The boy shuffled, shifting to his knees before managing to push himself up into a standing position. He brushed the dust from his clothes, heaving his backpack more securely onto his shoulders, "I thought for a moment we might have been in… in the Shadow Realm…"

Eshe looked up, a curious eyebrow raised, she was sure she had heard that term before; she pressed the boy for details, "Shadow Realm?"

"It's, uh, well- with almost every bad guy we've faced before, with the duels Atem and I fought together, the penalty for losing has always been that our souls would be banished to the Shadow Realm. It's a terrible place, scary and desolate… you'd lose your mind if you were unfortunate enough to remain there too long…" the boy explained.

Eshe made a less than thrilled expression, "Do you think… is that where we are?"

Yugi blinked a few times, eyes darting around the room, "No… this place seems different…" he looked down to his hands again, "And we have our bodies- our physical bodies… I don't know what this place is at all."

The moment he trailed off, a rattling noise echoed throughout the room, seemingly emanating from beyond the walls, and both Eshe and Yugi jumped up, standing close and alert.

The rattling stopped, and there was a moment of silent suspense; it appeared as though nothing was going to happen, and then, just as Eshe turned to Yugi to speak her thoughts, one of the walls began to move.

Began to close in.

" _Nononononono!"_ Eshe cried, her arms rushing to hug herself, "This is not- _not_ good, not something I'm okay with-" She already felt trapped enough, thanks to the dim, dusky room and her prominent phobia of tight spaces, but at the sight of the wall moving steadily inwards, she felt panic grip her entire body. Being crushed to death was the worst thing she could possibly imagine.

Yugi stumbled backwards on his feet, his eyes darting about the room to re-ascertain the apparent lack of exit, "T-there's got to be a way out!" he exclaimed, his tone entirely unassuring.

"There's no way out", Eshe gasped, her lungs fighting against her, willing her to hyperventilate while she tried valiantly not to.

"Calm down", Yugi told her, his voice somehow frantic and firm at the same time; he quickly squeezed her shoulder by way of comfort, "There's got to be a way out- there always is!"

The boy turned to the wall behind them - the stationary one - and began pushing against it, testing individual sandstone blocks in hopes that one of them would give way, "Help me push these!"

Eshe was frozen in place, her eyes settled on her imminent death, "I… I…"

"Eshe, _help me_ ", Yugi snapped over his shoulder, and Eshe hugged herself tighter, her legs wobbling in fear.

As Yugi shoved each and every sandstone block he could reach, Eshe took jagged steps back, until she was pressed against the wall. The boy beside her hadn't given up just yet, his gaze flying all over the place, looking for something - anything - that seemed misplaced.

His eyes went to the wall torch hanging a little ways over Eshe's head, and his eyebrows knitted as he turned back to the imposing wall and the rest of the surroundings, before he turned back to it, determinedly.

Eshe blinked as Yugi tiptoed beside her, stretching his arm out to reach above; he flailed slightly in his attempt attain a firm grip on the metal hold containing the torch, but his fingertips barely brushed against it.

"Eshe, you're taller than me!" Yugi snapped, "Pull it!"

The girl shook; the wall was a mere metre away, in seconds they would be crushed.

" _ESHE!_ "

For someone so small and good-natured, Yugi could really scream when he wanted to; Eshe jerked back to reality just in time, thrusting her hand up to clutch and pull on the torch holder above her.

The wall at their backs fell away immediately, swinging open in an instant, and the two cried out as they tumbled into a pile of limbs, safely outside of the crushing-room.

With laboured breathing, they groaned, slumping down in a puddle of relief, happy that their lives were still intact. Eshe felt as though her heart was trying to escape her chest; with a quick glance to their new surroundings, Eshe deduced they were in some sort of dark, dank hallway.

"Well", Yugi murmured, "that could've been bad..."

Eshe was glad the boy could break the tension so easily, and like a cracking dam, the leftover adrenaline rushing through her body forced her to laugh until she cried.

* * *

 **Notes: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Poor Atem... I am so mean :) Please review and let me know what you like about this chapter!**


	28. Nothing But Dismay

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Nothing But Dismay

The fallen, dried leaves crunched loudly below Mokuba's feet as the boy stepped cautiously through the misty forest, his violet-grey eyes straining to see too far ahead of him past the looming, dead trees. Though there were no leaves rustling above, the branches appeared to wave and prod at each other, as if communicating in a way he could not comprehend.

He'd fallen through a sea of darkness, and after a moment, he blinked, and found himself tumbling out into a barren brush with no clear explanation as to how he got there. The nature surrounding him looked sickly, as if it hadn't been tended to in a long, long time; there was a thin blanket of white condensation settled over the ground, making it difficult to pinpoint where to take his next step.

His friends were nowhere to be seen.

Mokuba swallowed thickly; he had no idea where he was, and no clue whether his brother had befallen the same fate as him and the others.

The mysterious woods he currently occupied set his teeth on edge, something about it just wasn't right. There was no wind, not even a gentle breeze to ruffle his hair, and the environment looked as though it was supposed to feel cold, but the temperature was incalculable, neither warm nor cold. It just seemed fabricated.

He could see his immediate, eye-level surroundings quite clearly, but the veil of mist at his feet and the ominous distant fog left him unable to discern anything but the bodies of tall, thin trees.

What confused Mokuba was that, upon turning his gaze to the sky, he saw nothing. No sun, no moon or stars, not even anything that resembled clouds. It was just black and empty, it didn't feel like a sky at all. It felt confining.

But if there was no sun or moon or stars in the so-called 'sky', then what was casting the albeit faint, but very _real_ light source that revealed his visible vicinity. It seemed impossible.

"This doesn't feel like any place on Earth I've ever been to", he murmured quietly to himself, finding comfort in speaking aloud within such a startlingly quiet place. He was scared, but he couldn't just stand in place and hope his brother would find him.

The boy pressed on with vigilance, surveying his surroundings for any sign of life as he weaved between the trees; with any luck, after enough walking, he would run into someone familiar.

Ahead, a small, square building came slowly into view.

* * *

Téa stood in a dark, narrow hallway, the wall comprised of decaying bricks, no doors or windows in sight; she crossed her arms, tapping her foot as her thoughts whirred for a reason as to why she was in such a place, and why there was no sign of her friends nearby.

She'd fallen through some dark portal, as had the others, so she assumed she had been transported elsewhere… but it was awfully unnerving that her friends were not with her.

The unnoteworthy passageway she found herself in led two different ways, she could head left and make her way around a gloomy corner, or she could head right and make her way down and identically gloomy corner.

Téa breathed a sigh, and headed right, rounding the corner to examine where it lead. She was greeted by what looked like an endless hallway.

"Not really what I'm about", she murmured, turning to make her way left instead. She sighed again as she saw another endless passage, "Come on…"

There was nowhere else to turn, she had to pick a direction and start walking, but which way to choose?

' _Right is always right_ ', she thought; that was the saying, at least; but what if that meant she was expected to choose _right_ , and that the correct passage was actually the _left_ one.

But then what if whoever had placed her there _knew_ that she would think that, and instead made the _right_ passage the correct one?

"Ugh", Téa grumbled, "Maybe I'm overthinking this."

Bluffing and double bluffing and triple bluffing was more of Eshe's expertise if anything; she would probably have had a better run here than Téa.

"I hope Eshe and Yugi and everyone else is alright…" Téa thought wistfully; if the others had been sent to the same spooky place as her, then maybe they were not far off.

Deciding to go with her initial instinct, Téa headed right.

* * *

"Ugh, man…" Joey groaned as he rubbed a hand over his sore butt; he'd landed on what felt like his tailbone and promptly rolled around on the floor, trying not to shout out in agony for all to hear, "That was just uncalled for…" the blond trailed off his remark as he finally took notice of his surroundings. He was in a dark, dusty room; cobwebs inhabited the corners of the stony brick walls and there was a certain sense of unease crawling up his spine.

With a grunt of lingering pain, Joey pushed himself to his feet, grabbing the edge of a solid stone table for leverage; he stretched until his back clicked and then he breathed out a relieved sigh.

"Now… where the heck am I?" Joey murmured, frowning at the strange location he had found himself in, "I was in the warehouse, but where am I now?"

He blinked curiously, squinting to adjust his eyes to the gloominess of the room. There were horizontal gaps built into the walls, rectangular in shape, just wide enough that Joey could climb into if he really wanted - not that he thought that was a good idea, it was simply an observation. Besides, most of the gaps were already occupied by strangely fancy looking wooden boxes.

"Huh", Joey muttered, raising a curious eyebrow, "What's this all about?"

His eyes were drawn to the large stone surface that his hand rested on; leaning closer, he noticed part of the stone was lightly engraved with words. They were quite worn, but Joey managed to make out something, which he proceeded to read out loud.

"Rest in peace…?"

He paused, clarity coming to his mind.

"NYEHHH!?" the blond cried, jumping away from what he _thought_ had been a stone table, and what he had now come to realise was actually a tomb. He frantically rubbed his dusty hand off on his pants and held his hands to himself.

A shiver creeped down Joey's back, and he stood tensely, eyes flicking to the boxes in the wall gaps - no, not boxes - _coffins_. It was all so clear now, he wasn't sure why he hadn't realised it sooner.

He was standing in a crypt.

"Uhh… you guys are all dead, right? You're not gonna come to life and chase after me, _right_?" the blond asked pleadingly, hoping not to hear any sort of response.

At the silence that greeted him, Joey relaxed slightly, "Good… uh, you guys just keep on being dead, ya doin' great!" the blond let out a nervous chuckle, and his eyes flickered to the archway in the room that led to a darkened corridor.

"Well… I guess there's only one way to go", Joey murmured, beginning to take heedful steps around the center tomb and towards the apparent exit.

With a hand feeling along the wall to help him navigate the darkness, this time very conscious of possible casket gaps in the stone, Joey moved as quietly as possible, ears straining to listen to any suspicious sounds coming from both behind and in front of him.

His footsteps seemed deafeningly loud in the soundless crypt, irritatingly heavy strides echoing up and down the hall; the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to his position in a place like this, whether or not there were dead people around to hear him.

Joey's foot hit an elevated step, almost causing him to trip and fall forwards; with lightning fast reflexes, he caught himself and recovered his bearings, proceeding to climb the steps that had come out of nowhere.

"It sure would be nice if there was some light in here", the blond muttered grumpily, relying heavily on the wall to manoeuvre up the stairs.

As if somebody had heard him, a dim light creeped through an archway at the height of the stairs, "Now that's more like it", Joey remarked, a victorious smirk on his face; he sped up his steps now that he had a better eye for his tight surroundings, but as he reached the halfway point of his ascent, something made him freeze.

The sound of grinding stone came from behind him, as if something was moving against the floor or the walls; Joey's heart dropped to his stomach, before he launched himself forwards and up the steps as quickly as he could.

"Ain't no way I'm bein' monster food tonight!" he yelled, his footsteps resounding loudly as he climbed. Without looking back, he reached the top of the stairs and swung himself out the archway, colliding at full speed with Mokuba Kaiba.

The sudden impact sent the two hurtling towards the ground, both yelling in surprise at the appearance of the other. Joey managed to avoid flattening the smaller boy and quickly righted himself, scrambling to his feet to help the other boy up.

"Sorry Mokuba! I didn't see ya there!" the blond exclaimed, holding the other steady as Mokuba regained his balance.

"Don't worry about it", Mokuba murmured, a slight pout on his face as he brushed the dust from his clothes, "What had you so scared, anyway?"

Joey swung around at the reminder that something had been quick on his tail, "There- there was… something…" the blond stared down the steps that led to ominous darkness, "Well, I… thought there was something following me… like a dead dude or whatever…"

Mokuba raised an eyebrow, looking down into the empty stairwell, "There's nothing there."

Joey flushed, his face a mix of sheepishness and indignance, "Yeah, well…! Nevermind! Where the heck are we, anyway?" the older boy questioned, his attention suddenly drawn to the foggy woods around them.

Mokuba shrugged, glancing around, "I have no idea… I'm just glad I ran into someone- this place is creepy enough, but try walking through here _alone_ ", the boy murmured, and then sighed, "I hope my brother's okay…"

Joey frowned, "You think your bro is somewhere here too?"

"I… I don't know. It looked like we were all dropping through those portals one by one…"

Joey nodded, "Well, in that case, we gotta find everyone!" the blond declared, straightening up to a confident posture, "Now, which way did you come from?"

Mokuba blinked, glancing around, before pointing in one direction, "Um, I think it was that way… why?"

"Well, do we head back the way you came from-" Joey turned and pointed in the other direction, "-or head _that way_ and try to find somethin' new?"

Mokuba nibbled at his bottom lip, thinking the choice over; perhaps the portal back to the warehouse was nearby the area he had walked from, but on the other hand, if his brother and his friends were stuck somewhere in this strange land like him and Joey, then he'd rather try and find them first.

The boy reached a decision, "Let's go this way", he pointed away from the direction he had walked from, "This building here was the first thing I've seen that isn't a whole bunch of identical trees, so maybe there's more to see?" he suggested, and Joey smirked.

"I agree! Let's go, little guy!" the blond turned and began taking proud strides further into the woods.

Mokuba rolled his eyes, "I'm not _that_ little…", he muttered, before rushing to catch up with the other boy.

* * *

After spending a few minutes recovering their bearings, Eshe and Yugi rose to their feet and looked down the long passage ahead of them. Yugi pulled the strap of his bag further up his shoulder, sparing Eshe a worrying glance as the girl stumbled slightly and grabbed the wall to steady herself.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked softly, and Eshe nodded, the adrenaline rush that came from the realisation that they were still alive had worn off and left them both feeling drained, physically and emotionally.

"Mm", Eshe murmured, "I'm just… I hope Atem and the others are okay."

"Me too", Yugi agreed, his eyebrows knitting in concern for the safety of his friends.

Eshe sighed sadly, thoughts of Atem flowing through her mind; her heart broke at the recollection of how helpless he had looked as he watched Atsu drop her and Yugi into those deceptive portals. The magician had lied, he had not been about to kill them, but Atem hadn't known that, and Eshe was sure she would never be able to erase from her mind the heart wrenching expression of vulnerability on the boy's face.

It was entirely possible that he thought they were both dead, and that sentiment tore her apart. She couldn't imagine what such a belief would do to him, but she hoped that it would invoke anger inside him instead of despair.

Yugi glanced down the passage, his eyebrows furrowed, "Let's explore this place. Hopefully we can find an exit", he spoke, and Eshe shrugged her shoulders.

"Doesn't seem like there's anywhere else we can go", she responded, and took a few prudent steps forwards, following Yugi.

They traversed the musty corridor, sticking close by each other, occasionally slipping left or right as they reached a turning; after what felt like an hour of walking, the muscles in their legs were beginning to ache, and it was very quickly becoming apparent that they trapped in a maze.

"I'm gonna wring Atsu's neck", Eshe hissed, descending against the wall to give her legs a break. Yugi came to a stop beside her and frowned.

"It's okay, we'll take a break and then continue", Yugi spoke calmly, and Eshe sighed, her mind full of frustration.

"How are you so chilled out, Yugi?" Eshe wondered aloud; if she wasn't so infuriated over their predicament, she would definitely be impressed by how composed the boy was.

Yugi gave Eshe a small smile, "When you've been on the adventures I have, you kinda learn to get used to stuff like this…"

Eshe's eyebrow rose, "Huh. Fair enough."

Yugi planted himself on the ground beside Eshe, moving to stretch and bend his legs to help with the muscle ache, "Eshe, I promise we'll get out of this", he glanced down the hall, "Wherever _this_ is…"

Eshe smiled, appreciating the boy's attempt to settle her nerves, "Thanks, Yugi." She truly admired the boy for his determination and tenacity; she couldn't help but think if she'd been by herself, she'd feel utterly hopeless by now.

After a few minutes, Yugi stood up, offering a hand to the girl, "Right, let's keep moving", he gave her a confident smile and Eshe returned the beaming expression with gratitude, taking his hand to pull herself up.

They took several unconcerned steps forward, Eshe following behind Yugi, until they came to a crossroad, and were given the choice of left or right. Eshe frowned, glaring into the concealing darkness of either passage, trying to suss out which would be the best road to take. Yugi looked up to her after a moment and Eshe looked back, the two sharing a look that suggested they both were thinking the same thing and knew exactly which road was the better option.

Yugi stepped right and Eshe stepped left, and then the both of them froze, raising an incredulous eyebrow at each other.

"You want to go right?" Eshe asked doubtfully, and Yugi pouted, looking back down the right passage in search of any reason why they shouldn't head down his chosen route.

"Well, yeah, right is always the better path", Yugi contended in a tone that proposed he was an expert on the subject, and Eshe gave the boy a dubious look.

" _Always_?" Eshe repeated with an air of uncertainty, but ultimately let out a sigh, "Alright, I trust your judgement, Yugi. We'll go right."

Yugi smiled at Eshe's words and the both of them turned down the right passage, the boy confidently leading the way.

They took three long strides before the floor gave out under Yugi's feet; in the blink of an eye, Yugi had disappeared from Eshe's sight with a startled cry.

"YUGI!?" Eshe screamed, dashing forwards to the edge of the hole that had seemingly devoured her friend; on her knees, she peered down into the blackness and saw the boy gripping a jagged outcrop for dear life.

"Oh my God, Yugi! I thought you were gone!" Eshe frantically screeched, and the boy gasped through laboured breathing.

"Help me up or I still might be!" his voice was high-pitched and he didn't dare look down into the nothingness below.

Eshe thrust her hand down into the pit, quickly wrapping around his wrist; she pulled with all her might and Yugi managed to scale out of the deep-looking shaft. Righting himself, Yugi let out a tired sigh and lay a hand over his chest above his furiously beating heart; after a moment of to calm himself down, he quickly checked his bag for his deck to make sure it, or anything else, hadn't fallen out. Once he assured himself everything was safe, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay… let's go left instead", Yugi mumbled exasperatedly, and Eshe tensely stood up, nodding her head almost mechanically in response.

"So this place is full of traps", Eshe murmured, "How delightful."

Luckily, the left passage was devoid of any immediate dangerous trickery; the two continued on in relative silence, keeping their steps light and cautious, testing each brick before they moved their entire weight onto it.

It took a little while longer to navigate the long corridor, but at least they didn't fall victim to any more near-death experiences; after some time, Eshe noticed something that was worth a remark. It was easy to spot, as they had been heading down the same, dull, tedious passageway for such a long time.

"Hold up", Eshe spoke suddenly, startling Yugi slightly after a long, drawn-out silence; he looked up at the girl curiously, wondering what had grasped her attention.

"What's up?" Yugi asked.

Eshe knelt down, running her fingertip along the sandstone bricks they walked along, "Look at this- the floor and the walls from this point are a slightly lighter colour", she tapped her finger against the seam where the darker brown met the lighter brown, "Isn't that weird?"

Yugi eyed Eshe for a moment, before looking down at the spot she was pointing at, the difference was so subtle that he was surprised she had noticed, "Um, sure…" It was beginning to seem very likely that this place was driving them insane.

"It's weird, right?" Eshe repeated, "I mean, it's something different- after hours of the same thing. What could that mean?"

Yugi pondered her words, tapping a finger against his chin, before his eyebrows rose as an idea hit him, "Hey, maybe it means we're making progress? Kinda like in a video game, every time you reach a new level, things usually change colour, right?"

Eshe blinked, smiling slightly. Trust Yugi to compare their current situation to a game.

"Well, _maybe_ that is what it means", Eshe hummed, entertaining the idea.

"Maybe we're almost to the exit!" Yugi suddenly exclaimed, reinvigorated at the thought.

"There's also the possibility that this hallway goes through, like, ten more iterations of brown before we reach the exit", Eshe grumbled pessimistically.

Yugi deflated, a large pout on his lips, "Why must you say something like that?"

Eshe smiled apologetically, "Sorry Yugi… there's only one way to find out though."

The two of them persevered, their short legs carrying them valiantly down the long, winding path, hoping for something significant to make itself known, any tiny smidgen of a clue that they were headed in a direction that would lead them to fresh air.

"Eshe, look!" Yugi exclaimed, just as Eshe was beginning to lose hope that they'd ever get out of there; looking up in the direction Yugi was pointing, Eshe saw carvings on the walls.

Well, it wasn't a way out, but it _was_ different.

"They're like… Egyptian pictorial carvings!" Yugi spoke, a hint of excitement in his voice, and Eshe rose an eyebrow, eyeballing the dimly lit walls to see if she could make sense of the images.

"What do they mean?" she asked, given that she was completely inept when it came to any and all things to do with Ancient Egypt - which was somewhat hilariously ironic in retrospect, given that she was an Egyptian queen in her past life.

"Well, they usually tell a story", Yugi explained, "Let's see if we can decipher it."

They observed the closest carving, an image of what looked like a green-eyed boy surrounded by scrolls and writing implements.

"No doubt in my mind, that's Atsu", Eshe spoke, so certain of herself, "It has to be…"

Yugi nodded in acknowledgement as they scanned the walls further along, finding more and more images; one of which the both of them interpreted to be Priest Mahad watching Atsu cast spells.

"Well, Mahad was Atsu's teacher", Eshe spoke, frowning at the stern look on Mahad's face, "But he doesn't look impressed."

Yugi hummed softly, a thoughtful look passing over his face; they next few depictions showed Atsu looking progressively angrier as he was faced with his rival, Rura. The black-haired, grey-eyed student magician was portrayed with a blank look, his eyes seemingly lifeless; now that Eshe was aware of Atsu's deception, it began to make sense to her that Rura may not have been so spiritless as she had been led to believe. Perhaps he was simply different, reserved, or shy even?

It was clear from the carvings exactly how Atsu felt towards his rival, however. Atsu was not thrilled by the challenge his adversary proposed, not like Atem and Seto were; if Eshe's understanding was precise enough, it seemed to her that Atsu derived resentment out of competition.

Rura's expression in each of the portrayals did not change, each of them presented the boy with a cold, ruthless, hard stare, looking only at Atsu and never anywhere else.

"I'm starting to think Atsu had some issues", Eshe murmured, and Yugi looked back at her incredulously.

"You're _starting_ to think?"

Eshe gave a slight huff, entertained by the sarcasm in Yugi's voice, "Yeah, you're right. It's been quite clear now for a while that he has some issues."

The amusement all but flooded from her face, making way for dread, a sorrowful feeling pooling in her stomach at the sight of the next carving. The overly-colourful image showed Atem, laying on a stone pedestal, eyes closed, while several people mourned him.

She picked out a few familiar faces, Seto and Shimon specifically, and the others she assumed were priests too, but she also saw an image of herself, knelt by the pedestal, hands covering her face in despair.

The portrayal only served to push memories back into her mind that she'd rather not remember; the familiar feeling of emptiness that clouded her mind from the dream she had had of Atem's death. She bit her lower lip and walked further down the passage, away from the carving that caused tiring emotions to burrow through her.

Yugi looked at her, his eyes sad and knowing; he said nothing as he followed her down to the next colourful image.

Eshe sniffed, looking up to see a representation of herself, her face devoid of emotion, with Atsu looming over her, the image of the malicious magician now looking very pleased with himself. Anger filled her; the thought that Atsu found amusement in her suffering was enough to power her growing animosity towards the wretched man.

Yugi made a noise as he observed the next picture, and Eshe ceased boring her eyes into the wall to look curiously at the boy, and then to the wall he was staring at.

The carving showed Atsu, his hand held aloft, clutching her necklace, as he cast some sort of spell, and Dalila, who stood beside him. Eshe was in the image too, an empty look in her brown eyes, and Dalila was watching her, a frown on her face, as Eshe plunged a silver dagger into her own chest.

"What the fuck is this?" Eshe hissed, rubbing her eyes with her fists, "What the fuck does this _mean_?" The image invoked pained confusion within her, she refused to draw the obvious conclusion.

Yugi sighed sadly, "We found out that in your past life, your death was caused by suicide… by a stab wound to your heart", the thought sent a shudder down his spine, "I… I don't know why you would do that, but-"

"Well it looks to me like this carving is suggesting I killed myself in some sort of ritual", she spat the words, unwilling to believe such a hideous thought, "Like I'm- like I am at least partially responsible for all the shit that's going on now!?"

Yugi flinched as her voice rose, "We don't know that, Eshe-"

" _Look at this carving, Yugi!_ What else could it possibly depict, if not that!?" Eshe cried, pointing to the wall with an accusatory finger; she bit her lip, her eyes becoming watery at the idea that she helped Atsu with his scheming plans.

Yugi frowned, his eyes narrowing at Eshe, "We don't know that, Eshe", he repeated, more firmly this time, "This happened after Atem's death, meaning you were grieving. Grief makes us do things we regret, but if this is how it looks, then at the very least, it's possible Atsu was able to manipulate you."

Eshe shook her head in denial, "But I- I wouldn't have killed myself…"

Yugi's expression softened, "Like I said, you were mourning Atem and you were probably in a state that made it easy for him to manipulate you. Maybe he told you that he could bring you and Atem together again, and maybe you believed it", he spoke, and Eshe's gaze fell to her feet in shame.

"...I fucked up", Eshe whispered, and Yugi put a hand on her arm, squeezing comfortingly.

"Regardless of what you did, I don't believe you intentionally bring harm to anyone. Atsu had been deceiving you since before Atem died; I doubt you knew that Atsu was planning to gain power and use it so harmfully."

Eshe bit her lip, covering her face with her hands, "I want to get out of here", she whispered, "I want to find Atem and I want him to be okay", her tone cracked slightly as emotion flooded into her voice, "I just want him to be okay."

Her vision grew fuzzy, and the pressure in her head that she'd been able to ignore for a while came back full force; she heard Yugi call her name as her peripherals became dark, and her legs became weak under her.

* * *

 _It had started with a tickle in Atem's throat; he'd been sipping water almost constantly in an effort to dislodge whatever was causing the irritating, unreachable itch, but gleaned so success. He'd complain about it every other sentence he spoke, and cleared his throat over and over until it became sore._

 _It had developed into a cough overnight, as Eshe had found out that next morning when she'd made her way to the archives to attend her lessons, and Atem had not been there waiting for her like usual. She had asked around, and eventually found out that Atem was in bed resting; throughout her tutoring sessions, she couldn't keep the boy out of her young mind, naturally anxious for her friend's well-being. Plus, writing class just wasn't the same without Atem._

 _Upon excusing herself from the archives following her lessons, she raced to Atem's room and found a very stern-looking guard standing outside._

 _Eshe had come to a stop and hesitantly inquired, "Can I go in?"_

 _The guard had given her a somewhat drawn-out look, before turning to knock on the door. At the acknowledgement from within the room, the guard had propped the door open slightly - not enough for Eshe to peek in - and the guard had announced her presence, requesting entry. After a few moments of mumbling that Eshe couldn't quite make out, she heard the voice of one of the healers firmly call out, "Yes, let her in, but only for a short while. The prince needs his rest."_

 _The guard stood aside and pushed the door open and Eshe rushed into the room with a smile on her face, and then she saw the prince, slumped against the extra pillows that were propped behind his back; his eyes looked exhausted and his face was somewhat pale. He was awake, and he looked over at her, lifting his head with extra effort, and a small smile reached his chapped lips._

" _Hey Esh-" his voice was raspy, and he immediately launched into a series of unhealthy sounding coughs, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as the healer had no doubt instructed him._

 _He looked terrible, like he hadn't slept at all and the usual eager shine in his eyes was dulled; the young boy let out a peaceable breath at last, hoarse though it was, and settled back down against the pillows with a miserable look on his face._

 _Eshe stepped closer, intent on climbing onto the bed with him, but the healer was quick to reprimand her, "I'm sorry, princess, but it's best not to get too close to the prince until we determine the severity of his illness. Very soon, he will need to sleep", the older woman told her, and Eshe frowned, fidgeting with her fingers._

" _When will he be okay?" she asked worriedly, and the healer sighed._

" _If he manages to sleep well, and if this is just a common cold, then he may feel well again within the week", the healer told her, and Eshe nodded, satisfied with the answer._

 _Eshe gave the boy a small smile and he blinked his eyes tiredly, "I'll come back when you're not so tired", she promised, and he gently nodded his head. She wanted so desperately to give him a departing hug or to hold his hand, but as the healer had warned her, his illness might've been catchy._

 _She left, biting her lip worriedly, and prayed to all the Gods and Goddesses she knew that Atem would recover strongly and quickly._

 _But by the end of the week, Atem still wasn't feeling any better, in fact every time she had been allowed to see him, he looked weaker by the day; it reached a point where she was no longer able to visit him, and after three days of not seeing him, she was terribly fearful for her friend's health._

 _Her mind had been occupied during her lesson, as it had been for over a week now, and Eshe stared down at her scrolls cluelessly while her tutor tried his best to teach her. It was useless, even after he'd admonished her for not paying attention, she still failed to focus._

" _Perhaps you need a break", her tutor suggested with a sigh, and Eshe nodded eagerly - anything to get out of the archives and breathe some fresh air._

 _On her way to the gardens, however, from the end of the hallway she saw Pharaoh Aknamkanon walking briskly with two guards and an advisor, and overheard a few firm words._

" _But, my pharaoh, what about the duties you need to attend? You have a meeting scheduled with Lord Manu in twenty minutes-"_

" _Lord Manu and my duties will have to wait. I need to see my son, now", the Pharaoh's resolute tone left no room for argument, and the advisor conceded with a soft 'yes, my pharaoh'._

 _Eshe's jaw clenched as she watched the king move swiftly towards Atem's chambers; the way he spoke made Atem's condition sound serious. She couldn't stay away any longer, she hadn't seen her closest friend in three days, meanwhile the boy had been suffering and in pain. The princess marched steadfastly to the prince's room, trailing a little way behind the pharaoh and his guards; no one paid her too much attention as she slinked down the hallway inconspicuously._

 _When she reached the prince's room, the pharaoh had already entered, and his guards stood watch outside; they were intimidating and imposing, and Eshe doubted they would let her through even if she asked nicely, however, it wasn't like she had any other bright ideas._

 _She walked up to them and tried to make herself look as domineering as a small, eight year old girl could, "I wish to see the prince", she spoke._

 _The guards shared a look, "Sorry princess, no visitors allowed. Pharaoh's orders."_

 _Eshe's lip trembled, her concern for her dear friend easily outweighing her inhibitions, and she quickly slipped between the guards and shoved the door open, bolting into the room even as the guards yelled at her. One of them grabbed her arm - not too hard, just hard enough to halt her, she was still royalty, after all - and she protested._

" _Let me go! I want to see Atem!" she cried, struggling and squirming out of the guards grip; she froze when the pharaoh spoke._

" _Release her, Djar, she may come in."_

 _Eshe breathed a sigh of relief as the guard released her, closing the door behind her; she rubbed her arm with a pout on her face, and looked to where the pharaoh sat at Atem's bedside. Aknamkanon brushed a comforting hand through his son's hair, looking down at the sick boy with a sad look on his face, and Eshe hesitantly approached, stepping around the side of the bed to get a clearer look at Atem._

 _He looked so much worse than he had the week before; his eyes were sunken in, his face sallow; he looked frail, and Eshe hated it. His eyes were shut, and she couldn't tell if he was asleep or simply didn't have the strength to keep his eyes open._

 _Fear rushed through her, she remembered so clearly the way her mother had died in front of her when she was three years old, taken by an illness that left her feeble and fragile; surely the Gods would not be so cruel as to take Atem from her in the exact same way. She would not let that happen._

 _She clenched her fists, tears welling in her eyes; she would not let the Gods take him away, no matter what it took. She stepped up to the bed and climbed onto it; Aknamkanon put a hand on her shoulder, gently keeping her at bay._

" _Eshe, please give him space", the pharaoh spoke gently, and Eshe sniffled, ignoring Aknamkanon's words and reaching for the boy regardless._

" _Atem, wake up", Eshe demanded softly as she pressed her hand to his shoulder, shaking him gently._

 _Atem's dull, purple eyes slipped open, his gaze going through her for a moment before he focused on her face, his eyelids lifted a little more and a spark of colour returned to his irises; he smiled._

" _Esh", he rasped, and then his face fell as he noticed her tears, "are you okay?"_

 _Eshe bit her lip, because how could he be so concerned with her when he felt so unwell; rubbing her eyes free of tears, Eshe gave the sick boy a stern look._

" _You need to get better", Eshe told him, "you're not allowed to be sick anymore."_

 _Atem's tired eyes widened slightly, his lips parting as he saw the fear and worry in Eshe's expression, "...I'm sorry", he murmured, he looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn't have enough energy to say it._

 _Eshe shook her head, "Promise me you'll get better", she implored, grabbing the boy's hand and clutching it tightly._

 _Atem's gaze flickered between her eyes, and he nodded, squeezing her hand back in return._

" _Say it", Eshe whispered._

" _I promise", Atem breathed, and Eshe shuffled closer, leaning down to hug the boy._

 _She just wanted him to be okay._

* * *

"Eshe! Wake up, can you hear me?"

Eshe groaned, blinking confusedly as she lifted her aching head; she realised after a moment that she was lying on the cold stone floor with her head in Yugi's lap. He seemed extremely concerned, no doubt because even in this strange dark world, Eshe couldn't stay conscious for more than five goddamn minutes.

"Ugh… my head", she whined, reaching up to rub her temples, "How long was I out?"

"About ten minutes", Yugi answered worriedly, "Did you… have another vision?"

Eshe blinked a few times slowly and sighed, "Yeah. Nothing helpful", _nothing about Atsu_ , she meant, "Help me up…"

"Are you sure you're okay to walk?" Yugi inquired softly, and Eshe shrugged.

"Guess we'll find out pretty quickly", the girl grumbled snarkily.

Yugi helped her to her feet, and she was able to stand by herself after a few dizzying moments, the ache in her head fading to a dull throb; she rose her gaze to the passage ahead, "Let's keep going", she wanted to keep her mind off of the carving depictions they had scrutinised.

The boy beside her watched her pause for a moment, ready to catch her if she looked like she was going to fall again, and took a slow pace beside her as they carried on down the hallway.

Ahead, a large, daunting door came into view.

* * *

Atem wasn't sure exactly how long he had been walking, but he knew for a fact that it was damn long time; the scenery hadn't changed, he still continued down the endless edge of the wall beside him, and a swift step into an unknown, misty darkness to his left.

' _How long is this wall?_ ' Atem thought with growing frustration, if it wasn't so high, he would've attempted to climbed it by now; his legs were aching, and his injured hand continued to pulse painfully with every involuntary twitch of his fingers. He was beginning to suspect he was in some sort of infinite loop, the bricks in the wall all looked the same, so there was no way to tell. If only he had something to mark the wall with-

He looked down as his foot collided with a small stone, sending it a few paces forward, and from it, he gleaned an idea. Bending down, he plucked up the small stone with his uninjured left hand, giving it a scrutinising glare before reaching out to draw a wobbly cross, marking one of the eye-level bricks; now at least, if he came across the same marked brick again, he would know he was getting nowhere fast.

He dropped the rock, and began to jog, continuing in the direction he had been walking, keeping a solid eye on the wall beside him for the marked stone.

Only a few moments passed before he noticed a change up ahead; his eyes flickered over the bricks and he came to a slow stop, looking up warily at the wall before him.

Every single brick was marked with a cross.

Atem's eyebrows knitted in angry confusion, and hesitantly, he turned back and looked at the wall where he had come from; up until just a few moments ago, the bricks had all been bare, but now every single one of them had a shaky cross marked onto them, as if none of the bricks had been bare at all.

Someone was clearly toying with him, and he'd bet all his cards that it was Atsu.

Pernicious laughter caught his attention, the sound startled him at first as he'd grown used to the unceasing silence; glancing up, he found the hostile magician himself standing on top of the wall, looking far too amused than Atem would like.

Gritting his teeth, Atem stepped away from the wall, arching his head up to eye the man as furiously as he could, " _Tell me where my friends are!_ " he ordered.

Atsu smirked, "You're in no position to be making demands, Atem."

"If you hurt them…" Atem trailed off, letting the dark glint in his eyes communicate his intentions.

Atsu chuckled, "You'll what?" the magician inquired snarkily, caressing the Millennium Puzzle around his neck with one vile hand.

Atem's jaw clenched in anger as he scowled up at the man above, " _What do you want?_ " he tightened his fists, immediately regretting it as his hand flared painfully, causing him to wince.

The magician's eyes fell to his hand as a wretched smile reached his lips, "I see you've injured your right hand. That won't be very good for you if you want to rescue your queen", he laughed cryptically and Atem's gaze hardened.

"Where is she? _Where is Eshe!?_ "

With an elegant motion of his hands, Atsu conjured up a black bow and arrow, pointing it to aim at something beyond Atem's shoulder; the tanned boy swung round and there, stepping out of the fog, was Eshe.

Atem's eyes widened, "Eshe!?"

"Atem?" Eshe called as she caught sight of him, her eyes growing alight with happiness, she stepped out of the mist, and then her eyes were drawn above, her face falling as she saw the nefarious magician aiming a black arrow right at her. She rose her hands in surrender and Atem swung back around to face the magician.

" _Atsu, no!_ " Before the words had left his mouth, Atsu released his grip on the arrow, and a sharp exhale sounded behind him; fear flooded Atem's mind as he turned.

Eshe's gaze fell to the arrow protruding from her chest, her raised hands dropping to her sides, and Atem watched the light fade from her eyes as she fell to the ground; an animalistic, choked cry of despair left his mouth as he stumbled towards her body, dropping to his knees at her side. " _Please, no_ ", incoherent words trailed from his lips as he cradled her in his arms, his vision blurring as tears welled up in his anguished eyes.

Atsu laughed.

Atem's agony turned to rage, his throat tight as he looked sharply to the man atop the wall, unable to string a sentence together over the darkness building within him.

The evil magician shrugged, smiling in morbid amusement, "Psyche", he laughed, and Atem looked down to his hands as Eshe's body turned to sand, "That wasn't really her."

Atem's hands shook as he stared at the sand piling in his palms, slipping between his fingers; he found he was able to breathe again, relieved, laboured gasps leaving his mouth, mixed with detesting grunts as he thought up a million ways to make Atsu pay for his grotesque games.

The tanned boy looked up to spit obscenities at the magician, but he was gone; Atem knelt alone in the darkening fog, working to steady his erratic breathing, before silently rising to his feet, returning to the wall.

The stone bricks retained their white crosses, except for one, and Atem felt compelled to raise his hand and touch it; he pressed it, and it sunk into the wall, a section of bricks immediately dispersed, making way for him to walk through.

Atem inhaled a deep breathe, silently composing himself, and he stepped through the wall to face a huge palace with several gilded spire towers.

* * *

"Where do you think we are, anyway?"

Seto Kaiba rolled his eyes as Tristan felt the need to ask another stupid question, "How am I supposed to know?" the CEO responded icily, looking out across the dead planes ahead at the distant palace that was surrounded with dark clouds. Before him, a wide river of ebony waters ran roughly downhill, blocking their path towards the impressive structure.

Why had he agreed to accompany the dweebs on another one of their inane adventures?

More importantly, _why_ had he let Mokuba convince him to let him come along?

Now he was in some barren land, with no way of communication, no idea where he was, and above all, Mokuba was nowhere to be seen.

Seto looked up to the dark sky, his scrutinizing gaze scanning the blackness for any signs of stars or familiar constellations, but there was nothing, and it wasn't the result of obstructive clouds - there was, quite literally, nothing there.

As far as the CEO knew, this was not a location on Earth, nor was it the Shadow Realm. It was something new.

Seto's eyes fell to the river bank at his feet, where foreign, black plants grew out of the supposedly lifeless ground; he bent down and plucked one up between his slender fingers, ripping the stem of the… _flower?_ \- before examining the strange bloom closely.

Before he could get a good look at it, however, it dissolved into nothing; Seto's eyes hardened on the now missing shrub.

"What even _was_ that?" Tristan inquired, clearly rhetorically, but the young CEO still felt the need to give the boy an exasperated stare.

Tristan shrugged at the look, "Come on, man, this place is whack. It's like some other dimension or something…" the boy trailed off, looking around curiously at the strange world around him.

The overwhelming need to call Tristan an idiot quickly arose, but before the words left Seto's mouth, he paused, entertaining the possibility in his mind for a short moment. It had already been proven to him multiple times that magic was real, that dead spirits trapped in ancient relics were real, that even the damn Egyptian Gods were _real_ ; it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume that through the result of some stupid magical power, they had been thrown head-first into a plane of existence entirely separate from the one they knew.

Seto's eyes twitched.

Could multiple dimensions exist side by side, and if they could, was it possible to travel freely between them?

"You think we should go to that palace?" Tristan asked, breaking into his musings; Seto restrained a frustrated sigh at how grating the boy's voice was on his nerves.

" _Of course_ ", Seto responded, condescendingly, "It's the only landmark around for miles, if any of your loser friends are nearby, it's where they would head. And it's where Mokuba would head."

Tristan made a face at the blatant insulting tone of Seto's voice, but chose to ignore the quips for now, "Should we wade through the river?"

"If you want to drown, be my guest", Seto remarked drearily, before turning to walk along the bank up-stream, "I'm going to find a bridge."

Tristan let out a grunt of frustration, glancing to the black rapids of the river; _maybe_ Seto was right about this one thing - those currents didn't look to friendly and it was impossible to tell how deep the water was. Begrudgingly, the boy followed behind Seto, keeping a close eye out for any of his friends along the way.

* * *

"You think this is another trap?" Eshe asked cautiously as she and Yugi stood facing the intriguing, large door before them.

Yugi looked down at the stone floor around the door, reaching his foot out to apply gentle pressure to the stone bricks, testing whether they were prime to hold his weight; when the flooring didn't immediately give out, Yugi stepped forward and prudently pushed on the door.

The brown, wooden door, decorated with intricate carvings, fell ajar.

"Huh." Yugi murmured, "I expected it to be locked."

"So did I", Eshe mumbled with suspicion; it felt as though there should be something more to the majestic entrance before them.

Yugi pushed the door further, and it swung open, revealing an unexceptional looking cell of some sort; together the two of them walked into the unassuming room, their eyes squinting into the darkness.

Upon catching sight of something - _someone_ \- crouched in the corner of the room, Eshe reflexively grabbed onto Yugi's wrist, a feeling of unease coming over her.

Yugi's jaw clenched, he looked up to Eshe with a wide-eyed glance, and then back to the person who was sat against the wall, cross-legged, hands intertwined in their lap.

"Hello?" Yugi bravely spoke, a very slight waver in his tone at the frightful sight - this was the kind of stuff you see in horror movies moments before death, after all - and the person looked up.

Eshe's mouth fell open. Shocked, grey eyes stared up at her; long and disarrayed black hair fell scruffily over hunched shoulders.

There, before their very eyes, layered with dust, was Rura.

* * *

 **Notes: Reviews make me so happy, my guys! :D**


	29. The Darkness That Is Haloed In Your Eyes

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Darkness That Is Haloed In Your Eyes

It seemed that the more Eshe discovered in this strange, dark, alternate world, the more confused she became; she looked upon the rigid, curled-in figure of Rura sitting in the corner of the dark, indistinctive, cell-like room, and remained stock-still as his grey, unblinking eyes landed her with a calculating stare. They were both utterly silent, but it was obvious to Yugi that their thoughts were screaming behind their eyes, reeling rapidly as they jumped to unravel the significance behind the presence of the other in such a place.

Eventually, the soundlessness became unbearable, and Eshe inhaled sharply, speaking quickly with a very incoherent jumble of words, "H-how are you here!?"

Yugi looked up to her as she spoke, lightly chewing on his bottom lip, somewhat antsy from the extended silence, and his gaze fell back to Rura as they awaited his response.

The magician's deep, assessing stare did not waver in even the slightest, and for a moment Eshe wondered whether Rura had heard her, until she recalled the last memory she held of him. She'd sent him indiscriminately to apparent life imprisonment without a trial, to rot in the deepest cell of the palace dungeons with little to no sunlight, to be treated lesser than the rats that scavenged the prison floors for crumbs of mouldy food.

She'd forced him to serve time for a crime he had never committed, and now he sat before her, looking a little worse for wear, eyeing her with an expression Eshe struggled to read. It couldn't have been good, she deduced, as she began to grind her teeth with worry.

Eshe scrutinised his appearance - his face had not changed, it remained youthful and angular as it always had been from what she remembered, his dark skin held no flaws, not a wrinkle or a scar to be seen; his once silky, straight, black hair was now dried out and ruffled, poking out in odd directions, overgrown, ungroomed and covered in dust.

' _Dust in his hair? How long has he been sat here without moving?_ '

Dust wasn't something that could be moved and put back so finely - the layer of powdery particles upon his head had settled there naturally. The thought unnerved Eshe.

Her gaze fell to his robes, the robes she often saw in her dreams, so pristine and perfect, were now greying and frayed at the sleeves; his hands rested, fingers interlocked, in his lap.

His presence made no sense - he should've been long dead by now and resting in the afterlife, so why was he _here_?

Eshe felt compelled to speak again as the quietness dragged on, but as she opened her mouth to repeat her question, Rura's lips moved as if to speak, and the action made her pulse race.

Rura opened his mouth, letting out a more audible breath, before he visibly swallowed, his tongue darting out to wet his dry lips, and then he spoke, "Atsu."

His voice, just as she remembered, was deep and monotonous, and she frowned, a confused look passing over her face as she glanced to Yugi who looked equally confused. "What?" she murmured bewilderedly; his one-word answer was far from apprising and did not possess the information needed for Eshe to help solve the mystery of his presence.

Rura took another moment, before he spoke again, "Atsu put me here", he told her, and his voice rasped with disuse, "a long time ago."

Eshe's jaw clenched, her hatred for the corrupted magician growing further; what events took place in the past that ended up pushing Atsu to such tormenting lengths?

"Three thousand years", Eshe whispered penitently, and Rura blinked a few times slow, the intensity of his eyes not fading in the slightest.

"Is that how long it's been?" he asked, though his mechanical tone made it sound less of a question and more of an acknowledgement; he turned his head, dislodging a few of the dust particles in his hair, and his eyes flickered across the four stone walls surrounding them, "I lost count after the first five-hundred."

Eshe and Yugi looked up suddenly, noticing for the first time the many, _many_ tally marks etched into the walls - there were hundreds upon thousands, covering every inch of the wall, and Eshe felt her stomach drop as she realised the torture Rura must have endured having been locked away for so long without the gift of daylight.

A baffling thought struck Eshe, "How have you survived here for so long?" she asked him, the perplexing note in her voice very audible, and Rura's grey stare fell on her again.

"Death is impossible here", Rura replied, as if the answer was oh-so-simple, "You do not age, you do not require sustenance to survive - your body clock is effectively paused. Pain is very real, but here, your soul is trapped within your body… there is no escape."

Eshe's lip quivered and she nodded in vague understanding, "Well, what about Atsu? He looks… older", she asked curiously; the corrupt magician was indeed no longer the boy she had known, he was an aged man, at least thirty-five in appearance.

Rura's endless stare was succeeding in bringing her discomfort, but she did not feel the chill she was used to in her dreams under his piercing gaze, "Atsu resided here as well, but occasionally he would wander, travel back to our dimension for short periods of time-" he paused, and for the first time, Eshe saw emotion in Rura's eyes, only for a moment; it was a very brief flicker of sadness that he quickly dismissed from his face, "...I have not seen the sun in three millennia."

Eshe swallowed again, working to push back the rush of anguish she felt for the poor boy before her; he too had suffered a similar fate to Atem, but Rura still had his memories, he still had retrospect.

"I'm so sorry, Rura", Eshe whispered, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her emotions in check, and Rura looked up at her, his eyes narrowing for just a moment.

"What are you sorry for, my queen?" he asked, curiously, and Eshe frowned at the title with which he referred to her. It felt very strange indeed, in this day and age, to be called 'queen'. She certainly didn't feel deserving of such a respected name.

"For… _everything_ , I had you locked up- you were- _framed_ and I believed Atsu's lies- ...and now you're here, because I was a fool", Eshe stammered quickly, unsure if her ramblings made much sense, but Rura watched her for an extended moment, before he blinked slowly again.

"It was not your fault, my queen", Rura spoke, "Atsu is to blame."

Eshe's mouth fell open in disbelief; she had caused Rura grief in their past, had allowed herself to apparently be manipulated by Atsu into helping him and taking her own life, she had forsaken the people of Egypt, and yet she was so easily forgiven by Rura, the boy who had been trapped and tortured by loneliness for three-thousand years.

She didn't deserve any of it.

Yugi spoke up for the first time since they'd walked into the room, "Excuse me, Rura, you earlier referred to Earth as 'our dimension', what does that mean, exactly? What is this place?" Yugi had been listening intently up until this point, and successfully distracted Eshe from her inner conflict with his very sensible question.

Rura turned his scrutinising gaze on Yugi, as if seeing him for the first time, and Eshe noted the way his eyes twitched, and the way his eyebrows turned up slightly in surprise.

"We are in a place known as the Outer Dimension. It is a plane of existence, along with many others, that co-exists with the world we know. Atsu mastered dimensional travel, and molded this place to fit his needs. As I understand it, when he first came here, there was nothing."

Yugi glanced to Eshe, a worried but perplexed look on his face, and Eshe breathed a soft sigh, shaking her head dumbfoundedly; while she did not understand much of what she was hearing, it was easy to just accept it after what she had been through the past few weeks.

Magic, evil magicians, reincarnation, Egyptian Gods… sure, multiple dimensions was pretty tame in comparison.

Rura's eyes were flickering back and forth over Yugi's face, his head tilting ever-so-slightly, and Eshe noted the nervousness in Yugi's expression at the magician's critical observation.

"Are you… the pharaoh?" Rura asked after a moment, and Yugi immediately understood the boy's intense inspection of him.

"No. My name is Yugi, Atem is my friend", the younger boy informed, and Rura's eyebrows rose in surprise, noting the present tense with which Yugi spoke.

"The pharaoh is alive, then?"

Yugi smiled slightly, nodding, "He is", and then his face fell, "But he may be in danger… Atsu has the Millennium Puzzle, and Eshe's necklace, and he used them to send us here… we don't know where our friends are…" He trailed off, and Eshe closed her eyes solemnly; she didn't want to imagine what Atem might've been going through - she knew how prone he was to blaming himself for things that were out of his control. Eshe wanted to get back to him as soon as possible and let him know that she was alright, that she was alive.

She wished she hadn't walked out of the Game Shop without him in a fit of frustration; she felt sick at the thought of being apart from him much longer.

"We need to get out of here", Eshe spoke, eyes slipping open, an angry determination filling her brown irises, "We need to get back to our world, find our friends and defeat Atsu."

Yugi nodded and turned to Rura, "Will you help us?" he asked hopefully, and Rura gave him a blank, curious look.

"I would, but I am trapped here", Rura spoke, his voice was mechanical and undeterred as ever, merely informative with no sense of complaint or grouse.

Yugi frowned, looking from Rura to the open door they had entered the room through, "You know the door's open, right?"

Rura wordlessly raised his right hand up in front of him, a neon pink cuff circling his wrist appeared out of nowhere, flashing and pulsing as if made of light; the cuff was connected to the wall by a chain made of the same reverberating, otherworldly material.

"It's a magic-sealing binding. As I said, I am trapped here; I can only travel as far as the boundaries of this room, and I have no access to my magical abilities", the magician explained as the other two eyed his wrist with wide, uncertain stares.

"How do we get it off? Is there a… key, or something?" Eshe felt a little silly asking such a question, but it wasn't like she knew about magical components and spells and enchantments-

"There's a key, of sorts", Rura responded, his eyes falling to the cuff entrapping his arm, "Not a physical key. When Atsu put me here, he gave me a riddle, and told me that the answer would dispel the magic-sealing cuffs."

Eshe rose an eyebrow, "Why did he tell you the key to escaping if he wanted to keep you here?"

Rura's eyes hardened for a moment, "...It amuses Atsu, that I would remain here with a hope to escape, but he knew I was never so good with puzzles and conundrums."

Yugi's face brightened, "What's the riddle? Maybe I can solve it!"

A small smile reached Eshe's face at Yugi's willingness to help; it was always advantageous having an enthusiastic puzzle-solver on your team.

Rura seemed skeptical from his momentary hesitation, but he seemed to reach the conclusion that there was no harm in allowing Yugi to try; it was likely that Rura just didn't want to get his hopes up - he had been down here for three thousand years, Eshe presumed that the crushing disappointment that would come _if_ Yugi was unable to solve the riddle would be hammering after so long.

"Alright", Rura finally relented, "the riddle is as follows: _It hides in every corner, it lies behind rocks and rills, and under mountains and hills. It cannot be seen, it cannot be felt. It cannot be heard, it cannot be smelt._ " The magician looked up at Yugi, waiting; from his expression, Eshe could tell he was not expecting Yugi to be able to solve it - but then again, Rura did not know Yugi Muto and what he was capable of.

Yugi's fingers went to his chin, curling under his lip in a thinking gesture, a curious hum leaving his throat; his head turned and he looked to one of the corners of the room, inquisitively repeating, "It hides in every corner…?"

Rura shook his head, "I have searched every corner of this room, there is nothing else in here."

Yugi stepped away from Rura and Eshe, his gaze travelling around the boundaries of the cell, his mind wandering on a proverbial journey to search his thoughts for a possible answer to the riddle.

Eshe sighed, thinking over Atsu's convoluted conundrum, "Under mountains and hills… what about… earth?"

Yugi shook his head, "Earth can be seen, felt and smelt", the boy answered, and Eshe pouted sheepishly.

"Oh yeah… right." She'd immediately forgotten the second part of the riddle - so much for her spectacular mind and _brilliant_ input. It'd probably be better for everyone in the room if she let Yugi deal with the puzzle and instead, kept her mouth shut; her brain was far to preoccupied with worrying thoughts of Atem, and puzzling thoughts of Rura.

Letting loose another sigh, Eshe gently inquired, "How are you still sane after all this time, Rura?" Even Atem had admitted to being in a bad way when his soul had first been freed from the Puzzle, then again, the three-millennia old pharaoh had not retained his memories like Rura had.

"I've been meditating, for weeks or months at a time, mostly", Rura answered, and Eshe's eyes widened in shock. That was a long time to spend meditating, though given that a person did not require food and drink to live in this world, it wasn't impossible, and it certainly explained why Rura was covered with a thin layer of dust, "Mahad taught me a great deal, but above all, he taught me the importance of keeping calm and focused… he was a good teacher."

Eshe nodded, reading the appreciation for his tutor in his sharp, grey eyes; she had been so wrong about Rura. While he spoke almost soporifically, it was clear the boy had emotions hidden behind his expertly assembled mask; her prior assumption that Rura was an unfeeling robot was ludicrously incorrect.

"My queen", Rura spoke in a somewhat inquisitive tone, "May I ask you a question?"

It was still jarring to be referred to in such a way, but Eshe didn't want to insult the young magician by asking him to refrain, "Yeah, go ahead."

Rura was quiet for a moment as he gave her an evaluating stare, "I was under the impression that you did not have your memories, but it appears you are aware of certain things…" he trailed off, as if unsure of how to pose the question he wanted to ask.

"I remember bits and pieces", Eshe explained, "Probably not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but I have knowledge of many moments from the past, and I'm still confused on a _whole_ lot of things", Eshe smiled nervously, "Perhaps you could shed some light on something for me?"

Rura gave a quick nod of his head, "If I can, I will. What is it that's bothering you, my queen?"

Eshe took a breath, "I remember something- It was…" she sighed, "-the day I caught you in Mahad's chambers, I found you searching through restricted spell books. I know now that that probably wasn't what it appeared to be, can you tell me what you were actually doing?"

She already believed Rura to be innocent, but she couldn't piece together any other reason he would have been snooping through that place for those items; not to mention that when she found him, he had clutched the spell book in a way that suggested he was guilty- like he knew it was something he shouldn't have been doing.

Rura blinked slowly, his gaze falling to the floor, and his expression remained tremendously neutral, "I had long suspected Atsu of something", he answered quietly, "I had caught him before, several times, lurking near Mahad's quarters. Each time I had stopped him, and warned him to stay away, because I knew he was up to something- I just didn't know _what_ exactly. Well, after the pharaoh's sacrifice, I noticed Atsu had become reserved, quiet- I didn't see him as much. He stopped trying to invade Mahad's chambers", the magician spoke, and Eshe hung onto his every word, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

As valiantly as Rura tried to keep his expression unreadable, Eshe noticed the minute micro expressions - the way his lips narrowed, the sharpness of his gaze and the brief movement of his eyebrows arching down and drawing together. His face was angry, Eshe could tell.

"...and I realised, perhaps he'd stopped trying to invade Mahad's chambers, because he'd already succeeded in doing so while I was distracted."

Eshe frowned, it made sense that Atsu might've attempted to break into Mahad's quarters during Zorc's initial onslaught of the kingdom - after all, Atem's army had been out on the battlefield with him, and every free guard had been posted around the city, helping to protect innocent citizens. It would've been the perfect time to go snooping, without a chance of being caught; but that didn't explain why Eshe caught Rura in Mahad's room-

"I was in Mahad's quarters because I suspected Atsu had already taken what he wanted, and I feared what he wanted was something from Mahad's forbidden spell stash. I was there, merely to check that all of my teacher's books were still in their rightful places; I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Eshe felt her jaw clench, remorse consuming her once again, "I- I'm so sorry, Rura… I don't know why I acted so impetuous and unfairly", she bit her lip to keep her emotions in check.

"Do not let it bother you, my queen. As I said, it was not your fault." Rura spoke simply; Eshe did not understand why he forgave her so easily. Even if she had been manipulated, there was still a part of her that must've known the inequity of the sentence she had given him.

Eshe glanced over to Yugi whose gaze was raised to the ceiling as he still worked to figure out the answer to the riddle, his mind reeling as he wandered around the room; Eshe looked back to Rura.

"What was missing? From Mahad's restricted books?"

Rura's lips became pursed and thin, "Nothing."

"Nothing? _Nothing_ was missing?" Eshe asked, confused by the magician's response; Rura looked weighed down by his admission.

"Not yet." Rura spoke, "He knew I had become too suspicious. He wanted me out of the picture before he made his move."

Eshe gritted her teeth, enraged that she had been used by Atsu in such a way; the corrupt magician had taken advantage of her grief and used her position of power to further his own vindictive schemes, and it made her furious.

" _I've got it!_ " The suddenness with which Yugi cried out startled both Eshe and Rura; the couple of them flinching and turning to face the elated boy with varying degrees of shock.

"What? You've figured it out!?" Eshe inquired with growing anticipation, she turned to give Rura a hopeful smile, but the magician's face had fallen back into it's detached mask; perhaps the boy didn't believe Yugi had really figured it out.

"Yes! The answer to the riddle!" Yugi exclaimed excitedly, and Eshe looked at him expectantly.

"Well? What is it!?"

Yugi grinned, his smile reaching from cheek to cheek, "It hides in every corner, it lies behind rocks and rills, and under mountains and hills. It cannot be seen, it cannot be felt. It cannot be heard and it cannot be smelt-"

"Yugi, enough with the suspense! What's the answer!?" Eshe snapped impatiently, there was no time for theatrics like in books and movies, they had already spent too much time dawdling in the cell room; they needed to get out of there and find a way back to their world.

" _Darkness! The answer is darkness!_ " Yugi cried, "Darkness hides in every corner, darkness lies behind rocks and rills, darkness hides under mountains and hills. You can't see, feel, hear or smell darkness!"

A high-pitched noise filled the air as the pink cuff of magical energy surrounding Rura's wrist began to exude light and fizzle; the cuff grew thin until finally it hissed and sputtered, easing out of existence. Rura held his hand up before his face, reaching to rub the fingertips of his other hand over the wrist that had been bound for three millennia.

He was free.

"After all this time", Rura whispered, "and the answer was that simple?"

Yugi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a modest smile on his face, "Don't be hard on yourself, the riddle was pretty hard", he spoke, always working to make those around him feel better.

Eshe smiled at Yugi, before regarding Rura with a serious look, "Rura, please, will you help us stop Atsu and save our friends?"

Rura shuffled to his feet, wincing slightly from the pain that came from not moving his muscles in a long, long time, before he bowed his head to Eshe, "My queen, I will do whatever it takes to help stop Atsu."

The determination in his grey eyes was clear, as was the commitment; Eshe felt reassurance emanating off of him. Now that they had a magician on their side, their chances of prevailing had vastly increased.

"Why are we still standing here? Let's go!" Yugi exclaimed, pointing towards the exit door which still remained ajar.

Eshe smiled and nodded as Rura looked at her, and with prudent steps, the magician walked out of the cell for the first time in three thousand years.

* * *

The palace doors were wide open when Atem reached the entrance, he didn't trust it one bit, and felt heavily that he was being led into a false sense of security, but there was no other way in. The first step into the palace hall made him pause, he hovered for a moment as he surveyed the large room; it was reminiscent of his ancient throne room, the walls were golden, decorated with intricate carvings and pleasant patterns. The floor was so clean, he could oh-so-clearly see his reflection staring back up at him; and at the far end of the room, there was a throne.

Atem's lips curled up in suspicion, wondering what _exactly_ this was all supposed the mean. He'd had enough of Atsu's repulsive games and he was certainly not in the mood for another, but something about the bright, quiet throne room left a bad taste in his mouth.

He took another step in, and the doors slammed shut behind him, it took all of his willpower not to let it visibly startle him. He _had_ been expecting something, after all.

The brightness of the room had all been extinguished, allowing the same cheerless atmosphere to filter in from the outside, bathing the hall in a blue-tinted murk. Atem's jaw clenched, a low rumble of a growl leaving his throat as he moved more guardedly into the large hall, towards the ominously empty throne.

"Atsu", Atem called out, "I know you're here… show yourself!"

The overwhelming feeling that he was being watched was far too plaguing, and he only knew one person who had a knack for spying on people from a distance; Atem stilled, straining his ears to catch even the faintest of sounds, anything to betray Atsu's position.

Atsu refused to show his face; instead, something materialised into existence at Atem's feet. He blinked, stepping back warily as he surveyed the object with hard scrutiny; polished steel glinted in the form of a long, slightly curved blade, it heavily resembled the swords he had wielded during his youth, except the hilt of the weapon was plain without any embellishments or engravings - nothing to make it look regal or majestic.

Atem's eyes flickered back up to the rest of the room, looking curiously around for any form of explanation that could reveal just what Atsu was up to; cautiously, Atem knelt down, reaching for the sword. He paused, flexing the fingers of his right hand again and hissed at the underlying sensation of sore throbbing; he wouldn't be able to hold the sword comfortably with his right hand, so instead, he reached with his left.

The moment his fingers curled around the bland hilt, a dark figure emerged as if out of nowhere, appearing in a black mist on the exalted throne, peering at Atem predatorily; the tanned boy jumped back, glaring at the man ahead. It wasn't Atsu; instead, a familiar Duel Monster covered head to toe in black, gold and red armour, with a thin, crimson cape lounged smugly in the elegant chair. With a leer, it stood.

 _Strike Ninja_ , Atem realised, began stepping towards him intimidatingly, each heavy footfall reverberating off of the shiny floor, and it became apparent to Atem just what was expected of him.

He couldn't help but think he was at a disadvantage, having to brandish his sword with his non-dominant hand against a professional ninja monster that was twice his size, but he stood his ground, raising his blade defensively. The only entrance to the room was shut tight, there was nowhere to run.

Not that Atem was one to run from a challenge.

The tanned boy gave the sword a practise spin quickly, checking the weight and dexterity of the blade in his left hand; as a prince, he had primarily trained in combat using his right hand, but there had been a few lessons in which he had worked to improve the deftness of his non-dominant hand for moments such as these.

The Duel Monster pulled a dagger from the sheath at its waist, twirling it masterfully before raising it up, charging towards the stationary boy.

Drawing in a breath of anticipation, Atem took two quick swipes as the warrior pulled close, both attempts thwarted as the monster met them both with his own smaller blade, diverted any chance at injury away from himself. Atem jerked back, narrowly evading a hasty stab, before he leaned in, aiming to strike the armoured man's leg. As if predicting his move, the monster sidestepped, avoiding the stroke easily, before bringing the dagger down hard against Atem's second swing.

Atem staggered back, letting out a surprised grunt, not having anticipated the harsh offensive move, and quickly brought his sword up to protect himself from three heavy blows; while he benefited from using a longer blade, his inexperience with left-handed swordwork put him in a very bad position.

The monster pulled back, Atem quickly moved to right himself as he struggled to retain his balance, and the _Strike Ninja_ glared down at the boy, piercing yellow eyes narrowing as he smirked smugly. Atem growled, it was clear the monster was only playing with him, serving as a diversion to keep him distracted from finding his friends.

In the blink of an eye, before Atem could react, the monster bolted towards him again, swiping with the dagger - Atem's sword clashed with the smaller blade with barely a moment to spare, and in his split-second panic, he realised his mistake. The monster was close enough to grab the hilt of his sword, and did so, spiraling it around and forcing his arm to twist the wrong way; his left hand weakened around the hilt and it was pulled easily from his grasp. Atem's jaw clenched as he stumbled blindly backwards, watching as the monster threw his sword across the room and left him completely disarmed.

It seemed to laugh at him, clutching the dagger threateningly in his palm as he stalked closer while Atem backed away; in one fell swoop, the monster took a long stride towards him, ducking down to circle it's wrist around his ankle.

Atem yelped involuntarily as his leg was pulled out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground on his back; he grunted in pain, noticing the angle he was thrown at had caused his deck to fall from it's holder, cards dropping to the floor in a colourful mess around him.

The wind had been knocked out of him, and he gasped for breath, sucking in air painfully as he was temporarily incapacitated; the monster knelt over him, pinning him down with a hand to his throat, making it even harder for Atem to draw in air.

The pointed dagger was brought alarmingly close to his face, pressing ever-so-lightly against the skin of his cheek as the monster dragged it down, creating a shallow cut that stung like hell, and Atem couldn't even protest as the warrior tightened it's grip around his neck.

In a final ditch effort, Atem reached for the cards that were scattered around him, coming to the shaky conclusion that if Atsu could summon Duel Monsters at will, then maybe, _maybe_ , he could too.

His bruised hand flailed, extending to the card closest, clawing at it until he managed to swipe it off of the slippery floor and grasp it in his fingers.

He couldn't speak with his windpipe compressed as it was, so he held the card skyward and hoped whichever monster he was holding would hear his mental plea to come forth.

Darkness began to consume the corners of his peripheral vision as his lungs burned for oxygen.

' _...Come forth… please!_ ' he called frantically in his mind for assistance; and just as the blackness flooded in, a blurry beam of white erupted from the card in his hand, and within moments, _Strike Ninja_ was thrown violently aside, struck by some form of solid magic. The sudden alleviation on his throat pushed the fuzziness from his vision as he inhaled a deep breath, curling in on his side as he coughed and heaved for breath.

While he recovered, he heard the noise of a struggle cease, and hoped his monster was the one who had prevailed; a moment passed and he felt the presence of something above him. He turned in panic, immediately moving to escape the looming shadow of a monster, but his alarm came to a halt at the sight of the _Dark Magician Girl_ hovering worriedly above him, her face the picture of concern.

Atem released a relieved sigh, "Thank you", he breathed, letting his head loll back against the floor; _Dark Magician Girl_ made a noise of consternation as Atem rolled over and pushed himself up with exertion. Glancing up at the friendly monster above him, Atem gave her a grateful smile, happy in his discovery that he could call forth his Duel Monster allies.

* * *

Téa was growing extremely frustrated, and that was saying something. She was the most patient person she knew, but she had been walking down this endless passage for hours and she was beginning to feel like she couldn't take much more of it.

"This is just ridiculous", she grumbled, pausing to lean forward with her hands on her knees; the muscles in her legs were aching from the constant movement. If this continued much longer, she was sure she'd find herself collapsed across the cold stone floor.

Téa wondered briefly if any of her friends were having to experience anything like what she was going through; and if they _were_ , she wondered whether or not she would find them any time soon.

" _Yugi_!?" she called out down the endless hallway; the ominous echo of her voice was repeated back at her and she shivered, perturbed by the desolation of her environment.

"This is so not fun", she murmured to herself, finding comfort in speaking aloud; brushing her hair behind her ear idly, Téa resumed her determined strut, her fists clenched at her sides.

' _It'd be so much easier to escape this place if I was strong enough to punch a hole in the wall_ ', she thought, sighing softly. She wanted desperately to sit down and take a rest, but the thought that her friends might be in trouble kept her energised, powering each footstep with blazing resolution.

She had to find her friends.

Téa broke into a run, sprinting hard against the solid ground; if there was one thing that could keep her moving while on the brink of exhaustion, it was the thought of her friends.

"I'm coming, guys", she exclaimed intensely, "I'm not giving up!"

The term 'giving up' wasn't in her dictionary, but after ten minutes of non-stop running, Téa's legs were beginning to understand the concept pretty well; her muscles grew sore as she pushed on, ignoring the insistent pain buzzing through her nerves. Her friends were more important than her comfort, she didn't care if her limbs fell off in protest - if she needed to, she would drag herself across the floor to find them.

 _She had to find her friends._

Téa tripped on an uneven brick and tumbled to the floor in a heap, a cry of pain escaping her mouth as she narrowly avoided introducing her face to the ground; she let out a hiss, refraining from squeaking out an obscenity as she pushed herself to her knees, rubbing her hand where it had scraped against the rough stone.

"This sucks", she whimpered, and turned to glance in the direction she had run from.

She let out a shocked scream at the mysterious appearance of a door right before her eyes; that had _not_ been there a moment ago. She had run from that direction, she _would_ have noticed a door right in her path.

This place was insane.

"What in the world is this place?" she snapped, baffled and angry from her predicament, but at the same time, it was a welcomed change from the neverending passage she had been forced to travel.

With a distrusting pout, Téa shuffled to her feet and glared at the door before her, "You better not have been right behind me all this time…"

With guarded curiosity, Téa reached out gently and pushed on the door, it fell open and revealed a misty forest; she rose an eyebrow and stepped out of the gloom of the dank passage, and into the gloom of the drab woods.

Nearby, she heard two bickering voices.

* * *

Mokuba was quiet, and Joey was noisy; they were polar opposites in terms of demeanor, it became apparent very quickly that the two of them weren't overly fond of each other's company.

In the emptiness of the silent forest, Joey felt the dire need to break through the quietness with mindless chattering, while Mokuba was overcome with worry for his older brother, and preferred a peacefulness with which he could use to ponder where Seto could possibly be.

Mokuba and Joey were not the greatest duo in the world.

"Man, I'm actually starting to miss Tristan, can ya believe it?" Joey spoke as they trudged through the crunchy leaves side by side, "He always makes me mad, always thinks it's hilarious to make fun of me or tease me, and I'm _really, actually_ starting to miss him. Weird, huh?"

"Mm", Mokuba mumbled, eyes on the loamy soil beneath his feet as he walked; he was only half-listening to Joey's one-sided conversation, the other side of his mind was highly preoccupied with thoughts of his brother.

He hoped Seto was alright. Mokuba's older brother could most certainly take care of himself, but he always did have a knack for angering their enemies - and from what the young boy could tell, this enemy was extremely dangerous.

He just hoped Seto wasn't in harm's way.

...but what if he was?

"-and this one time, I was trying to eat this pizza, but I had a plate of fries on the side and I _knew_ Tristan was eyeing them up like he was ready to strike. I was sure the moment I let myself become too distracted by my delicious pizza, he would swoop in and steal one of my fries, and I couldn't let that happen-"

Mokuba clenched his fists, trying his best to block out Joey's incessant babbling; he could hardly think straight while the heavily accented voice was jabbering away in his ear.

"-so I told him, _look, if you want some fries then go and get your own_ , and do you know what he did? He took one of my goddamn fries. The nerve of that guy; I was looking forward to devouring _all_ of them fries, and this guy just goes and ruins everything! Fries are everything to me... Huh, I wonder if there's a restaurant around here somewhere? Maybe I could get some fries and- oh… you know what? I'm actually not feeling that hungry. That's pretty weird for me, I'm _always_ hungry. What about you, little dude? Are you hungry? Usually I could eat like five burgers in a row but right now, I just don't feel-"

" _Will you shut up!?_ I don't care about your stupid eating habits!" Mokuba snapped, startling the tall blond into shocked silence.

The young boy felt his cheeks grow red at his outburst, shame crawling down his neck at the wide-eyed stare Joey was giving him; he ignored the older boy and continued to trek through the crisp leaves on the ground.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa- hold up. How about an apology for all that grumpiness? I was just trying to lighten the mood, is all", Joey spoke, eyeing the back of the boy's head, "Ahh, who am I kiddin'? Your last name is Kaiba, I shouldn't expect an apology from you."

Mokuba rolled his eyes, sending a glare back over his shoulder at the blond, "Just what is that supposed to mean!?"

"Well, you're Kaiba's little bro, it makes sense you'd be just as self-important as him", Joey snarked with a smug look, seemingly proud of his insult.

Mokuba frowned, "What's your problem, Joey? Just cause my brother's a better duelist than you-"

" _YOU TAKE THAT BACK!_ " the blond cried, pointing an accusing finger at the younger boy, "I could beat your brother with a hand behind my back!"

"No you couldn't, you wouldn't be able to draw cards!" Mokuba shot back.

" _It's a figure of speech!_ " Joey barked, baring his teeth, "And your brother is an ass, kid!"

" _Shut up!_ " Mokuba growled, jaw clenched as his eyes stung with tears, " _If that's what you think then you don't really know my brother!_ He's the only family I have and he's the best big brother in the world, so _shut up!_ "

Joey pursed his lips, holding back any scathing remarks that wanted to fight their way out of his mouth, his eyes flickering over Mokuba's burning face; the blond winced inwardly at the sight of tears in the grey-violet eyes that glared up at him and he realised that he probably shouldn't have let his temper get the better of him.

Joey was loud when he was worried about his friends, and Mokuba was quiet.

"Gee, I'm sorry kid, I didn't mean to make you cry-"

"I'm _not_ crying", Mokuba sneered, turning to face away from Joey in an effort to hide his emotional state, "I just got something in my eye, that's all!"

Biting his lip, Joey sighed, "Alright. I am sorry", he repeated, "I shouldn't have said what I said. I'm just worried about my friends."

Mokuba was silent for a moment, before he muttered, "And I'm worried about my bro."

Joey nodded, eyeing the ground with a frown, and blinked as Mokuba continued to tread through the brush; the blond resumed following at a slight distance to give the other some space to retrieve his bearings.

At least ten minutes passed before Joey heard Mokuba speak again.

"Why do you hate my brother so much, Joey?" the boy sounded as though he had gotten his emotions back under control, his voice was steady without the wavering sadness that had been there before.

Joey raised an eyebrow, nibbling on his bottom lip, "Cause he thinks I'm a third-rate duelist with a fourth-rate deck, and he's always talking like he's better than I am just cause he's rich."

Mokuba fell quiet again for another extended period of time; Joey figured that conversation was over, until the boy softly proclaimed, "He doesn't really mean that."

"Huh?" Joey blinked in confusion, unsure as the what Mokuba was referring to.

"My brother doesn't mean what he says about you. That's just his way of riling you up because he thinks it's funny. He thinks you're a good duelist really, and he respects your strategies…"

For a long time, Joey didn't respond, and if it wasn't for the steady footsteps he heard behind him, Mokuba would have been sure that the boy had disappeared; the younger of the two turned back curiously from the lack of response, and saw the heavy skepticism on the blond's face.

"Kid, are you _on_ something?"

"Ugh", Mokuba grumbled, rolling his eyes again, "You are intolerable."

Joey let out a noise of frustration, "Look who's talkin!"

"Will you just stop?" Mokuba groaned, wishing the constant arguing would end.

"I'm not the one teasing!" Joey accused.

"I wasn't teasing!" Mokuba yelled.

"Mokuba? Joey!?"

The two boys froze at the sound of a third voice, and together they turned in the direction it had come from; beyond the trees, they saw Téa peering over at them.

And she looked _elated_.

* * *

Rura, as it happened, was a very practical ally to have; now that he was freed from the magic-sealing cuffs, his magic energy had returned and he knew some very useful spells indeed. As they followed behind the magician, a ball of glowing light hovered beside them at the same pace and illuminated the once dark and drab corridor, providing enough of a glow for them to see without having to squint their eyes.

Eshe wasn't sure that Rura knew exactly where he was going, given that he'd been quarantined to one room for the past three-thousand years, but she was happy to let him lead the way since the boy seemed to have a better sense of direction than she or Yugi did.

The light of the magician's glowing, floating orb brought forth the possibilities of new pathways that the other two had not previously been able to see in the surrounding darkness; they followed Rura wordlessly as he led them down several new corridors that had seemingly popped up out of nowhere.

"Do you know where we're going?" Yugi inquired.

Without looking back, the magician quietly replied, "No."

"Ah", Yugi sighed in gentle frustration, anticipating another five hours of walking before they came across something of note.

"This place is a labyrinth", Rura explained, as if they weren't already aware of that, "and the key to any maze is trial and error."

Eshe nibbled gently on her bottom lip, eyes flickering over their surroundings, "Don't you know a spell that can, like, reveal the way, or something?"

"Not without knowledge of the destination we are searching for..." Rura responded, he trailed off in a way that made it seem like he wasn't finished speaking, and the other two looked at the back of his head curiously during the pause, before suddenly he came to a stop.

"What is it?" Yugi asked, and Rura turned back to them with his eyebrows arched slightly as if he'd reached some sort of silent epiphany in his mind.

"Perhaps…" Rura spoke hopefully, and placed his hand to his chest, over his heart. His eyes slipped closed while Yugi and Eshe shared an intrigued glance, and after a few moments, Rura spoke again, " _Chaos Command Magician_ , I summon you!"

In a burst of light, a green-robed Duel Monster came forth and stood towering over all three of them, it's head bowed respectfully to Rura.

"You just summoned a Duel Monster!" Yugi exclaimed as Eshe stared in awe.

Rura brushed away the hint of a smile on his face at the appearance of the monster, and turned to Yugi with a confused frown, "Duel Monster? No, this is my Spirit Monster."

"Spirit Monster?" Yugi parroted, and there was a spark of recognition in his eyes, "Back in Ancient Egypt- the Pharaoh and his Priests all had Spirit Monsters! They summoned them with- ah, I can't remember what they're called…"

"DiaDhanks", Rura answered, a slight suspicion in the tilt of his eyebrow, "How do you know this?"

Eshe looked curiously at Yugi, wondering if he was talking about what she thought he was talking about. In the dream-memory she had experienced of Atem's coronation day, both the pharaoh and his foe, Bakura, had used some strange duel disk-esque device that had allowed them to summon Obelisk and Diabound respectively.

Yugi frowned at the suspicious look Rura was sending his way, "I know because I was there, thank you very much", there was a certain sass to his tone that brought Eshe amusement, however, his words confused her.

"You were there?" Eshe asked, "Wait, what do you mean you were there?" She had been told about how Atem and the others had triumphed over Zorc, but she'd never heard anything about them being in Ancient Egypt.

Eshe's questions only made Rura's suspicion grow, and he regarded Yugi with his piercing grey stare.

Yugi cleared his throat under Rura's intense scrutiny, "That's a story for another time, can we please focus on getting out of here?"

Realising the growing conflict between the two boys, Eshe spoke up, "Rura, Yugi is my friend, you can trust him, I promise you that", she endeavoured to clear up the magician's wild speculations.

Rura turned back to his Spirit Monster, "You believed Atsu was your friend, once", he told Eshe.

Eshe felt her teeth grind together at the magician's flagrant remark, and she saw the way Rura's shoulders tensed before he quietly responded, "Forgive me, my queen, I did not mean to insult your judgement."

She let out a sigh, "Yugi is not like Atsu", she readily informed him, not a fan of how effortlessly he had grown dubious of Yugi Muto - perhaps the friendliest person in the entire world - even after the younger boy had freed the magician from his confines.

"Understood", Rura nodded his head, before looking to his _Chaos Command Magician_ , "Help us find a way out, my _Magician_ ", he ordered, and the monster gave an obedient nod, and took off down the corridors speedily like a bullet fired from a gun.

"He will return when he finds something", Rura spoke, before turning back to Yugi, "...my apologies for my brash behaviour."

Yugi shrugged his shoulders slightly, accepting the apology with his forgiving nature, and the three of them fell silent as they waited for the monster to return.

It was only a few minutes that passed before _Chaos Command Magician_ reappeared from around the corner.

"Did you find anything?" Rura asked almost eagerly, and the monster nodded his head, turning once again to show the way. Eshe glanced at Yugi, a relieved smile on both their faces as they broke into a job behind Rura and the helpful monster.

It led them to a room, pushing the heavy door open to reveal a quiet room; something against the far wall demanded their attention.

Eshe stared at the stone pedestal across from them where an item hovered in mid-air within a purple beam of light; it seemed to radiate electricity, a steady vibration sounding in her ear that appeared to be emanating from the object in question.

Looking to Rura and Yugi, Eshe realised they too were both enamoured by the item ahead; nobody spoke a word, but their thoughts reeled behind their eyes.

"It's the necklace", Eshe whispered after a long moment, and Yugi nodded. Rura eyed the item with nothing short of mistrust, but apart from that, Eshe could not decipher his expression.

It frustrated Eshe that no one spoke or made as if to move, so she stepped forward towards the pedestal curiously, stopping only when Rura's cool hand grabbed her wrist; she gave the boy a hard frown and his grip softened.

"It's dangerous", Rura stated, "that is the item he used to start all of this."

Eshe paused, looking back to the necklace that gave off a wild energy, "We should take it", she asserted.

"Not a good idea", Rura responded blankly, "I can sense the evil inside of it."

Yugi spoke up, "I'm… with Rura on this, Eshe. You saw what it did to Atsu when he used it, right? What if that happens to you?"

Eshe's lip curled up in disgust at the memory of the corrupt magician holding the necklace aloft, the way his eyes bulged and the way his skin grew discoloured, "Well… maybe it won't happen to me…?"

Rura released Eshe's wrist, "What exactly happened to Atsu when he used it?"

Yugi sighed, "It was gross, he just looked like a monster-" the boy's eyes flickered to the _Chaos Command Magician_ before them, "No offense", he told the Spirit Monster, and the monster merely blinked.

Eshe might have smiled if she wasn't feeling so unnerved by the reverberating negative energy of the necklace, "You could see his veins through his skin- black lines all over his body, he looked hellish", she explained in more detail, looking inquisitively at the young magician.

Rura sighed, "It sounds as though the necklace contains more power than his body was able to wield. If you touch it, I cannot guarantee you will come away from it the same."

Eshe swallowed, "It's my necklace… Atem said he thought this item was the key to freeing my memories…" her gaze hardened, eyes narrowing as that fleeting thought passed through her mind once more.

' _If I regain my memories, will I still be me?_ '

The fear that the _old_ Eshe's memories would overpower her own and turn her into someone that was not herself left a bad taste in her mouth; and if, somehow, that didn't happen, and they all managed to overcome Atsu's terrible tyranny, then in a very short period of time she would be made to leave the world of the living and… _die_.

Yugi bit his lower lip, "Maybe I should try- if it hurts me then we know it's too dangerous to touch-"

"Not in a million years, Yugi", Eshe mumbled, "With all due respect, I'm growing frustrated with other people sacrificing themselves to help me. I appreciate that you would do that, but I won't let you do that."

Yugi frowned, "Eshe…"

"I'll take it", Eshe declared with a whole lot of false confidence.

"My queen, please, allow me to-"

"No", Eshe interrupted Rura, "If something _does_ go wrong then I'd rather you weren't the one to be consumed by the dark magic inside this necklace", she managed a wry smile, "We've learnt that evil necklaces and magicians don't go well together."

Rura frowned, still not on board with the idea that Eshe was about to potentially put herself in great danger so willingly, "My queen… I must insist that you refrain…"

"Too late!" Before the other two could react, Eshe darted forwards, hopping up onto the raised platform; ignoring the protesting cries from both of them, she clutched her hand tightly around the gold-lined lapis engraving of the crow.

* * *

Eshe was somewhere else.

She blinked a few times, discombobulated from the sudden change in scenery; she took in her surroundings, taking a few cautious steps around. Yugi and Rura were nowhere to be seen; she was completely alone, facing the dead-end of a strange, new passageway.

"Please don't tell me I've been transported somewhere without Yugi or Rura. Please don't tell me that", she spoke out loud, begging to anyone that might hear her.

There was no use in moping around in fear, and it seemed there was only one way to progress. Eshe strolled at a slow pace down the narrow corridor, absorbing her surroundings with awe.

This was different; her environment was different, there was something about it that felt entirely unfamiliar, and yet, at the same time, something close to her heart.

The walls were made of gold.

Real, actual gold; she took a step towards one of the golden slabs and pressed her hand against it. It shone, untarnished, reflecting her intrigued expression back at her. She continued walking, her fingertips running against the shiny, golden wall as her eyes darted to the rest of her surroundings.

What was this place?

Why was she here?

Where were Yugi and Rura?

The questions flew through her mind, each without an answer, and it left her infuriated; she hated not knowing.

Her fingers hit some sort of ridge, and he squeaked, turning back as she jumped away to find what her hand had brushed.

The gold was cracked and invaded with black corruption, leaving a spindly, web-like pattern crawling over the flat surface; Eshe didn't know what it was, but it looked evil, and she noticed with a start that it covered most of the walls ahead, until there was no gold left to shine through.

She looked down at her fingers to make sure they were alright, and a look of alarm passed over her face at the black discolouration that now stained her digits.

"What the fuck?" she whispered with a slight panic, "what is this?"

Rubbing her fingers, she found that whatever it was, it was not something that could easily be rubbed away, no, the dark patch was beneath her skin.

She wanted out.

Flexing her fingers, she let out a worried groan, shoving her 'infected' hand into the pocket of her jeans, and continued down the only available path.

Up ahead, she spotted an opening that she hoped led to an exit; and sped up, having to step to avoid the black tendrils that now covered the ground.

"Please be an exit", she whispered as she approached the archway; Yugi's optimism had begun to rub off on her.

The physical corruption of the walls, floor and ceiling around her became heavier, covering almost all the surfaces, and by the opening, on the ground, there was a candle, burning and flickering weakly.

She didn't know why, but she slowed as she passed it, wishing not to extinguish the flame in her haste.

Eshe reached the opening, and froze up in horror.

A stone altar sat in the centre of the room, a body lying atop it, motionless.

The black tendrils reached out from the base of the altar, spreading decay across the once regal surfaces; the air changed as she walked in, stepping carefully across the putrefaction of the floor.

She was terrified, her movements stiff and hesitant, she was ready to turn and run at any moment.

And then she realised who lay across the alter.

His tanned skin was covered with white, Egyptian linen, blue gemstones sewn into the collar rim of the tunic, while a shendyt skirt, decorated with blue and gold material circled his hips. His arms, adorned with gold bands, lay limply, palms up, by his sides.

His hair, a starburst of black and magenta while yellow bangs framed his face.

"A-Atem?" Eshe whimpered, stumbling slightly through the tendrils as she raced towards the altar; she'd found him, he was right there.

His eyes opened, and his head turned towards her slowly.

Eshe halted in place, her gaze landing on his eyes.

She was not greeted with the deep, charming purple she was used to. There was no warmth in his irises, no happiness to see her, there was only emptiness bathing in the form of black.

Eshe shook as Atem pulled himself into a sitting position on the edge of the altar with trying effort, facing her with a blank expression, his lips parted like he wanted to speak, but no words came out.

"Atem… what happened to you?" Eshe whispered, her voice hushed with fear; this was not the Atem she knew.

He took an audible, small breath, and something black scrambled through the bottom of Eshe's vision. She jumped back as one of the black tendrils raised up like a snake ready to strike, and she tumbled and tripped, falling against the sea of stringy blackness that began to reach out to any visible skin on her body, leaving black discolouration in its wake.

Eshe screamed, kicking away from them as she struggled back to her feet, " _Atem!_ " she cried, wondering why he was just sitting there watching her distress.

Once free of immediate danger of the tendrils, Eshe fell into a cautious stance, now a fair few metres away from the altar and her emotionless boyfriend, and she watched him in disbelief. His hand was raised, palm facing the black tendril that had tried to take a swipe at her, and his fingers trembled with the effort to hold his hand up; Eshe couldn't tell what was happening, she couldn't interpret the scene, and she had no idea what the black, sentient vines were supposed to be.

" _Atem!_ " She called again, and the boy met her gaze sluggishly, and proceeded to stare at her until she spoke again, "What is this place?" she tried, hoping he'd cut it out with the silent treatment and help her understand what was going on.

He _didn't_ speak, but he raised his hand to his chest, placing his palm flat against it, and Eshe shook her head uncomprehendingly.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say- what's wrong? Wha- can't you talk to me? What the hell is going on, Atem!?" the flurry of questions appeared too much for Atem to handle, because he weakly shook his head in response, his hand shakily reaching to press against his head.

While his eyes showed nothing of emotion, his face scrunched up in what seemed like pain.

"Atem…?" Eshe whispered, and took a cautious step forward.

At once, his hand shot out simultaneously as the black tendril reared up again, which wriggled warningly before her; Eshe looked between Atem and the corrupt creature, unable to help but think it sort of looked like he was controlling it.

"Atem… wh- it's me- it's Eshe. Don't you recognise me?" she cried, her eyes stinging at the thought, "It's _me_ , Atem!"

The boy grunted, his hand returning to his head - he acted as though he was experiencing a very painful headache, something that Eshe could certainly sympathise with - and she worriedly hovered in place, wondering whether she should try to approach him again.

"Atem, please", Eshe whispered imploringly, "I want to help you-"

"G… o…" Atem stuttered, his voice pained and grating, "... _go_ …"

Shaking her head slightly, Eshe frowned, "Go? Go where?" She didn't want to go anywhere, she wanted to get him out of this terrible place; she wanted the old Atem back.

Atem's teeth grinded together as he let out another pained grunt; he slipped from the altar and landed on unsteady legs, the muscles in his limbs flexing with the effort it took to hold himself up. Eshe swallowed, taking another step back as more tendrils broke free from the nest of them on the ground, become lively and wriggling with dire intent.

Atem let out a heart-wrenching scream of pain, and Eshe reflexively moved towards him, but all-too-suddenly, the black tendrils lunged towards her.

" _GO_!" Atem shrieked, the veins below his skin growing the same sickly black that Atsu's had; and Eshe cried out in fear, staggering back to evade the pouncing tendrils. She watched her boyfriend buckle under the darkness that enveloped him, feeling helpless that she couldn't do anything about it- her way towards him was blocked by the terrifying tendrils.

She floundered back, away from the sight before her.

" _GET OUT!_ " Atem screamed, and the tendrils came for her once more; she had no choice.

She ran from the room, away from the danger, away from Atem who fell to his knees amongst the mass of horror and decay; she sprinted out of the archway and rounded the corner, running down the passage as fast as her legs could carry her, until she reached where the corruption could not. She leaned heavily against the golden wall; breathing hard as her lungs burned and tears streamed down her face.

She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to go home, wrap herself in a fuzzy blanket and collapse on Atem's bed and breathe in his comforting scent.

Eshe was not a hero, she was not a magician, she was not a being of extraordinary power or some strict Egyptian God. She was not brave, she was terrified, she couldn't fight, she wasn't good at puzzles, she was an anxious mess, fraught with emotional turmoil, and she _couldn't take it anymore._

Eshe sucked oxygen back into her lungs, letting out a wail.

 _What the fuck was she doing?_

Atem was being consumed by _something_ \- she didn't even know what - but he was in pain if his agonising screams were anything to go by. She'd turned to run out of fear, and left him to suffer alone in that room.

 _What the fuck, Eshe?_

Eshe was not a hero, magician, being of extraordinary power, or and Egyptian God, but she couldn't leave Atem alone.

A shaky inhale, and Eshe stood upright, turning stiffly back in the direction of the horrific room she had fled from.

Eshe was not brave, but… she was _not_ a coward. She refused to be a coward. Atem had shown her that facing her fears was possible.

Eshe couldn't fight, but she could talk and she could listen, and sometimes, that was better.

Eshe wasn't good at puzzles, and she was an anxious mess, fraught with emotional turmoil.

But Eshe was determined.

Because she couldn't leave the person closest to her when he needed her the most.

Eshe walked, footsteps heavy against the floor as gold met stringy black, and the archway came back into view. She could hear Atem's precarious breathing and moans of pain, and she sped up.

She passed the small candle by the entrance to the room. The flame was dead, most likely extinguished as she'd run out in such a billowing haste; Eshe clenched her jaw, pushing away all doubts, and stepped back into the room.

Atem was hunched over on his knees, squirming amongst the mass of tendrils that were wrapping themselves around his body, pulling him down, closer to the corruption.

Eshe balled her fists, stepping forwards towards the danger, she couldn't let Atem continue to suffer. As some of the tendrils noticed her presence, they erupted back up, taking position in front of her, blocking her way to the boy on the ground, ready to strike if she were to move any closer.

"Atem", Eshe spoke, her voice as steady as she could make it, "Look at me."

The boy rose his head falteringly, his whole body wobbly and straining with the effort it took to fight against the black vines.

"Do you know where we are?" she asked him; watching his face carefully. His face scrunched up, and he gave a jagged nod of his head in confirmation.

"Tell me", Eshe ordered, gently but firmly; she needed to know as much as she could to help him escape - if the answer to their freedom from this place was around somewhere, then perhaps she could figure it out, she just needed _something_ to go on.

"Mmn…" he moaned, a scratchy noise leaving his throat, "Nn- neck...lace…"

Eshe blinked, shaking her head in confusion, "Necklace? What about it?"

Atem's eyes fell shut briefly, and Eshe could tell he was exhausted, both mentally and physically by the looks of things.

"We… we're in… _the necklace_ ", he managed, and for a moment, his eyes grew wide as he gaze went through her, a spaced out look reaching Atem's face, before he shook his head, regaining some semblance of familiarity.

"O-okay", Eshe acknowledged, though she still didn't understand entirely what he meant. How could they be inside a necklace?

Before Eshe could speak again, Atem uttered a few words, "You… need to go…"

Eshe's gaze hardened, her eyes flicking across the various tendrils leering at her from just a stone's throw away, "I'm not leaving you Atem", she told him.

"Please… not safe… go…"

"We're leaving this place together", Eshe snapped frustratedly, "You're coming back with me, okay? I'm not leaving you again! ...Never again!"

A tendril snaked up and wrapped around Atem's throat; he reached for it, clutching the snake-like creature as he tried to pull it away.

" _Atem!_ " Eshe cried, stepping forward again.

"N...o!" Atem rasped through the pain, "Can't… hold them… off… much longer!"

Atem wasn't trying to set the tendrils on her, he was trying to keep them away from her; Eshe's eyes widened, her breath speeding up as she watched the tanned boy gasp and choke, his eyelids falling down half-lidded over his black irises.

She couldn't stand there and watch this happen any longer.

Eshe lunged forwards, rushing head-first into the slithering mess of vines; they darted towards her and snaked around her limbs, excruciating pain attacking her senses.

" _NO_!" came Atem's voice, and the tendrils of darkness surrounding her loosened their grip briefly, allowing her to struggle through and push her way closer to the boy.

" _S-stop… just go… please…_ " Atem cried, watching helplessly as Eshe squirmed through the pain, closer and closer, " _I… was meant to protect you… leave me… go…"_

Eshe was close enough to touch him, and she reached out, pressing a hand gently to his cheek; she looked into his black eyes, finding specks of purple trying to burst through the shadows, and smiled at him despite the agony.

"You have", Eshe whispered, a waver in her voice, "You've done… brilliantly… but I won't leave you now, Atem…"

Atem's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open as he trembled, "W- _why_?"

Eshe felt the constricting tendrils tighten, her extremities beginning to feel numb, but she pushed it aside; she shoved forward through the darkness even as Atem cried for her to turn back to safety.

"Because…" she choked out, streams of tears flowing freely from her eyes as she realised something she couldn't deny in her mind any longer, "Because I… _I_ _love you_!"

The darkness abated, making way for the light. Eshe threw her arms around Atem.

 **And remembered.**

* * *

 **Notes: Literally screaming. Review my lovelies. This chapter made me a mess :')**


	30. The Dying Of The Light, Part One

Transcending Time

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Dying Of The Light, Part One

Eshe's earliest memory was immersed in tenderness; she remembered the gentle sounds, the enlivening smells, the beautiful array of colours that her wide, awe-filled eyes absorbed and stored away in her mind forever.

She would never forget the feeling of the soft linen blanket wrapped around her small body as her mother - Sabiya - carried her protectively against her chest; she would never forget when her mother sat below the trees in the small palace garden, cradling Eshe in her arms as she sang to her.

Soft, soulful humming from century-old harmonies drifting affectionately from her mother's lips, Eshe dozed contently in her nurturing arms; the sunlight glinted through the branches of the acacia tree above and she had never felt more loved.

Her mother was young and beautiful, her face was kind and enchanting; Eshe remembered reaching with tiny hands, little fingers brushing against the unblemished, dark skin of her mother's cheeks, and the resulting smile the woman blessed her with.

Eshe recalled her mother's melodic voice as she cooed soft words of unconditional love into her small, sensitive ears, "I love you, my little angel."

Her mother taught her many things in the three short years she was in Eshe's life; she taught Eshe the merits of kindness, and to always offer help to those who needed it. _The birds are your friends_ \- that's what Sabiya always told her - _and friends protect each other._

When she was two years old, she was sat in her mother's lap on a stone bench in the garden, and Sabiya instructed her to hold her hands out flat Eshe did as she was told, and watched her mother sprinkle a few flax seeds into her cupped palms. When Sabiya told her to hold her hands high, she did, and within a few moments, a small bird swooped in and landed on her wrist to peck gratefully at the offered food.

"Sometimes I wish I could fly like a bird. It would be fun, don't you think, my dear Eshe?"

Eshe loved birds, because her mother loved birds.

"I think I would like to be a bird", Sabiya told her.

Eshe had always believed that her mother could actually speak to the birds, it wasn't too far a stretch for little Eshe to believe her mother was ordained with the ability to communicate with them - a gift from the Gods, Eshe believed. When she asked her mother about it, her mother simply told her, "The birds are smart, they understand better than you think."

So Eshe spoke to the birds too; she told them whatever crossed her mind. When she was sad, she told them why, and when she was happy, she chattered to them enthusiastically; her mother taught her that wherever she was, so long as the birds were around, she would always have a friend to talk to.

Eshe remembered sitting on her mother's bed when she was three years old, clutching Sabiya's frail hand with her father at her side. She watched as her mother's eyes fell shut, and never opened again.

Sabiya died from an illness that was beyond the curing capabilities of the palace healers, and Eshe was left without a mother. Being exposed to death from such a young age was frightful for the young girl; she did not immediately understand why her mother was no longer around, nor did she really understand what her father meant when he told her that her mother now graced the afterlife with her presence.

Though, as Eshe grew, she began to understand; her mother could no longer hold her or sing lullabies to help her sleep, or whisper loving words into her ear.

But her mother was not gone; Eshe knew, deep down, that whenever she heard soft, quiet chirping from the trees above, her mother was with her.

* * *

At five years old, Eshe was told by her father that she had to leave her home, and instead live in Lower Egypt at Pharaoh Aknamkanon's palace; when she tearfully asked her father why, her father told her that it was the safest place for her to be.

When she asked her father why he wanted to get rid of her, her father scooped her up and held her close, promising her that if he could stay with her, then he would. The last thing he wanted to do was to be apart from his beloved daughter; but to ensure her safety and her prosperous future, he was required to do things he sometimes didn't want to do.

When Eshe continued to protest, fearing that she would be alone with no friends or family to find comfort in, her father told her, "What about the birds? There are birds that live by the Nile, ones that you don't see in Upper Egypt. You'll have so many new friends to make, Eshe."

"The birds?" Eshe whimpered, rubbing the tears from her eyes, and suddenly, the daunting feeling that had been simmering in her stomach at the prospect of being away from her father did not feel so dismaying.

Upon reaching the palace, Eshe had found the size of it rather intimidating, it was at least twice as big as her father's home, and there seemed to be guards posted every couple of steps, stood stiff and alert, ready to jump into action at the slightest sign that something was amiss.

It definitely _seemed_ far more secure than her father's palace, what with all the soldiers around.

Eshe befriended one of the guards, Asim, who was cordial and helpful; he accompanied her to the gardens that she was so eager to explore, and that was where she met Atem.

She had seen the young prince in the throne room when she had arrived, of course, and the young boy had smiled politely, but apart from that, she really didn't know all that much about him. Their initial interaction had been a little rocky; he had accused her of picking flowers, and she had immediately grown frustrated that he would accuse her of such a thing. In the short few minutes before the misunderstanding had resolved, Eshe believed her unforeseeably long stay at the palace would be miserable, and that she'd have to grow up dealing with a bratty, spoilt prince who jumped to conclusions before he knew all the facts. Eshe repeatedly thanked the Gods that that _wasn't_ how her stay had turned out.

Prince Atem was surprisingly considerate, even at the young age of five, and Eshe knew very quickly that her father was right when he told her she and the prince would become good friends.

* * *

"It's my turn to hide", Atem informed Eshe with an enthusiastic smile as his fingers curled around her wrists, bringing her hands up to cover her face, "Count to twenty! No peeking!" the boy called as he quickly scurried off to hide in an appropriate hiding place. Eshe smiled as she pressed her hands over her eyes, and began to count aloud.

She heard the sound of his footsteps pattering against the grass as he ran across the garden as fast as his short legs could carry him; she figured he'd already scoped out a hiding spot earlier that day that he'd been excited to try out, but she found his excitement to be extremely cute.

Eshe rarely, _rarely,_ beat Atem when it came to Hide and Seek. Nine times out of ten, she wouldn't be able to find him at all, and would have to wander around the garden and courtyard calling out to him to bashfully admit that, yes, she had given up. Then, of course, nine times out of ten, Atem found her within a few minutes when it came to her turn to hide; the boy was just _so good_ at games, and it frustrated her to no end.

"Eighteen, nineteen, twenty!" Eshe called out and pulled her hands away from her eyes, blinking as her eyes readjusted from the harsh light of the Egyptian sun; she scanned the immediate surroundings of the garden, unable to catch a glimpse of anything that looked vaguely Atem-shaped.

The few times Eshe _had_ discovered Atem in one of his many fantastic hiding spots had been simply because his hair had betrayed him, pointing up from behind ledges, like a beacon giving away his position without his knowledge; it always amused Eshe that it never really crossed Atem's mind just _how_ unusual his hair was - it was truly unique and noticeable for miles.

Eshe couldn't see any starburst-shaped locks peeking around any corners from her spot by the pond; so with a keen eye, she stepped in the direction she thought she'd heard Atem scuttle off to.

She shielded her eyes from the light as she looked up into the tree above; it wasn't easily accessible for seven-year-olds to climb, but knowing Atem - well, if anyone could find a way, it was the imaginative, young prince. She couldn't see him, however, so she quickly resumed her perusal of the gardens and walked by the bushes lining against the walls; she hesitantly knelt down and peered under the bushes, her eyes darting back and forth as she searched for the telltale colour of Atem's blond bangs within the sea of green plants.

He wasn't hiding amongst the shrubbery, and Eshe wasn't surprised; Atem wasn't entirely fond of the shaded, bushy corners of the gardens - he was far too cautious of the snakes that lurked and slithered, camouflaged and unseen - their painful and often deadly bites were enough to deter him from any of those hiding places.

Eshe looked across the garden to Asim and another guard that was posted at the entrance archway, supervising them in the event that any snakes _did_ manage to slide their way into the grassy area; perhaps the guards had seen where Atem had run off to.

She approached Asim, and as she drew close, he turned to her with a smile, bowing his head respectfully, "What can I do for you, princess?"

"Do you know where Atem is hiding?" Eshe asked with a smile, and Asim's lip curled up in a smirk.

"Is the princess trying to cheat at Hide and Seek?" Asim asked teasingly, and Eshe's cheeks went pink from the playful accusation.

"No!" Eshe squeaked indignantly, and then pouted, "Can you at least tell me which way he went?"

Asim chuckled, and then lowered his voice, "I might've have seen him heading towards the courtyard", he informed her, "But you didn't hear anything from me, princess."

Eshe grinned as the guard winked, quickly whispering a 'thank you!' before she hurried through the archway towards the courtyard, her sandals clacking loudly against the stone pathway as she ran.

The courtyard was quiet, and Eshe narrowed her eyes as she walked in, scanning the area for the most obvious hiding places - her gaze travelled briefly over the five delicate clay pots that lined the wall, frowning slightly - Atem knew better than to try and hide in those. Shimon had told him they were expensive, and _not_ for playing in; she didn't think the boy would go against the elderly man's wishes, so she stayed away from them, worried that if she got too close, she could end up breaking one accidentally.

She checked every hiding place she knew of in the courtyard - under the stone tables and benches, behind the pillars, she even checked the fountain to see if the young prince was hiding in or around it.

It was frustrating playing Hide and Seek with Atem; back in her father's palace, she had been the best of the best, but the boy was far more willing to climb and crawl into craftier places than she was.

With a sigh, she cupped her hands around her mouth, " _Atem!_ Where are you!?"

She looked around curiously, waiting for the boy to make himself known. But he didn't.

Eshe grumbled, crossing her arms in annoyance as she figured out why Atem wasn't making himself known - he was waiting for her to admit that she had given up and that the prince had won their little game.

If she _did_ admit to giving up, then Atem's ego would absolutely grow several sizes, and the end result would not be pleasant; he wouldn't let it go for at least a week or two - teasing her at every chance he got - ' _I'm the Hide and Seek champion and you're a big loser!_ '

She could picture the smug lilt in his voice perfectly.

"Alright", she sighed, "I give up! Where are you? Atem!"

Eshe heard snickering from behind her and she turned around, eyes scanning the area intently. And then, a starburst of tri-coloured hair popped up out of one of the expensive vases on the far side of the courtyard; Eshe's jaw fell open as Atem's boyish little face popped out of the neck of the wide pot, a complacent grin on his face.

"Atem, you're not supposed to be in there!" Eshe snapped in a hushed voice, worried that her friend would get in trouble, "Get out! You're gonna break it!" She padded up to him with a hard pout on her face as Atem giggled.

"I'm not gonna get in trouble", the boy told her, "It's fine. I'm not gonna break-"

As he pushed himself up to climb out of the pot, it wobbled as his weight hung over the edge and brought it crashing to the ground; Eshe jumped back to avoid getting flattened, catching the split-second expression of regret on Atem's panicked face as he hit the ground, tumbling out of the pot at the same time a cringe-inducing crack sounded.

The pot, of course, was broken.

Eshe's jaw clenched as Atem quickly scampered to his feet, brushing the dust from his tunic as he stood by her, staring down at the mess he had made with a worried look on his face.

Shimon, just by chance, happened to be walking past the courtyard apertures at that very moment; Eshe saw the moment he looked up and caught sight of them, before his eyes travelled to the broken vase, and she saw the deep frown grow on his face.

Atem stiffened as Shimon rounded the corner and descended the steps into the courtyard, his eyes narrowed on the young boy with stern intent and for a moment, the prince looked as though he was going to make a run for it - but if he didn't look guilty enough already, scrambling away at full-speed certainly would.

"What is the meaning of this?" Shimon asked with a worryingly calm voice, motioning the broken vase pieces scattered across the ground; his disappointing gaze settled on Atem's shameful face.

"I- it was… I didn't- I mean…it was-" Atem stuttered, twiddling his thumbs nervously under the scrutiny of the old man, his mind rushing to come up with any excuse that would help lessen the punishment.

Eshe knew for a fact that Shimon was far stricter with Atem than with her, and she hated to see her friend in trouble, even if it _was_ the young prince's fault.

"It was me", Eshe told Shimon, lowering her gaze to the ground, "I broke the vase. It was an accident, I'm really sorry!" Her heart pounded as Shimon turned his surprised, yet stony expression on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the incredulous look Atem gave her as she aimed to take the blame for him.

"You broke the vase?" Shimon inquired heavily, his eyebrow arching with suspicion; Eshe swallowed, her eyes flickering to Atem who was staring wide-eyed at the ground with his mouth clamped shut. The young princess nodded up at Shimon, gnawing on her bottom lip worriedly as she awaited her imminent punishment.

Shimon looked back to the broken pot, and then sighed, regarding Eshe with a grave look as he shook his head slightly, "You have both been warned not to play near these vases. Eshe, if you cannot follow such a simple instruction then perhaps you shouldn't play in the gardens anymore."

Eshe felt the sting of tears reach her eyes and looked up pleadingly at Shimon, "No, please- it won't happen again, I promise! Please, I love the gardens!" she begged, and the old man gave her a dour look, before letting free a sigh.

"Then consider that a warning for if it _does_ happen again. Instead, you can go a week without any sweets", he told her, "Understood?"

Eshe deflated; Shimon knew how much she liked to eat a handful of sticky, sweet dates or a honey cake after the evening meal - and now she'd be denied such treats for a whole seven days.

She nodded her head, "Understood…" she murmured, her gaze lifting briefly to Atem searchingly, wondering whether or not he would own up to his mistake, but the boy was looking away from her, making himself appear as nonchalant as possible.

"Good. I'll call a servant to clean up this mess", Shimon spoke, "You two should go and play elsewhere, _away_ from the vases."

Eshe sniffed and nodded her head, before turning to make her way back to the gardens; she ignored the sound of Atem hesitantly calling her name as she marched back to her favourite spot by the garden pond, passing through the archway as Asim glanced at them with curious confusion.

When Atem caught up with her, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks, "Eshe!" he exclaimed, and then a little quieter, "Why did you take the blame for me?"

His face was addled, his eyebrows knitted together with a slight pout on his lips, and Eshe frowned, pulling her arm away, "Why did _you_ let me?" she snapped back.

Atem blinked, "Huh?"

"I did that because I thought he'd be easier on me than on you, but he almost forbid me from playing in the gardens!" Eshe glared at the boy, who bit his lip under her hard gaze.

"...But he didn't", Atem pointed out sheepishly, and Eshe let out a frustrated groan.

"You just stood there and let me take the punishment", Eshe whined, "Now I don't get any sweets for a week!"

Atem fidgeted guiltily with his hand and fingers, before giving Eshe a forced smile, "Shimon would've punished me worse- so, thank you", his smile wobbled a little, "I- I could… sneak you some of my sweets…"

"And when Shimon catches you doing that, he'll think I put you up to it and punish me even more", Eshe shook her head, "Just forget it. Don't climb in those expensive vases again."

Atem's strained smile fell, and he lowered his dejected gaze, "I'm sorry… I should've owned up to it…" he murmured quietly and sincerely, "I'm sorry", he wrapped his arms around Eshe in an apologetic hug, and after a moment of pretending to be mad at him, Eshe relented, and hugged him back.

She could never stay mad at him.

It wasn't the only hide-and-seek incident that Eshe recalled with such clarity; only a few months after the broken-vase occurrence, Eshe found herself stumped and under pressure with only a few short seconds left to find a suitable hiding place for herself as Atem counted steadily to twenty.

Eshe had already spent enough time dawdling in place, spinning around to find a hiding place good enough to baffle Atem - he knew _all_ her hiding places, so she needed to go for something new, but with only a few short seconds left to find somewhere to conceal herself in, she was running out of ideas fast.

And then she saw the large pot, made with reinforced materials that was definitely not expensive, nor delicate, and she figured it was as good a place as any to slip herself into and evade Atem's seeking eyes. She had never hidden in the pots before, preferring not to get her dress dirty or dusty, _however_ , she had grown tired of losing.

So she climbed into the steady, durable vessel.

Within moments, the enclosed space of the pot began to affect her; she did not like the way the air suddenly felt hot and musty inside the receptacle, and with her knees pressed to her chest as she hugged herself, it only made it more difficult to breathe.

She quickly began to panic, but her stubbornness left her unwilling to climb out and admit defeat for the hundredth time - and especially not by _allowing_ herself to be caught. She was sure Atem would find her soon, she only had to wait a little longer inside the pot.

Except the pot seemed to be growing smaller, tightening around her as she began to cry, her inhales and exhales growing almost hysteric - the muscles in her limbs screamed to be stretched, but she was stuck.

It was the most terrifying thing she had ever experienced.

"Found you!"

The sudden realisation that she didn't have to spend a second longer inside the entrapping vessel startled her into a struggle, and she raised her hands out of the pot, scrambling to escape as quickly as she could. By then, Atem had noticed her petrified expression and the tears running down her cheeks, and with wild concern he had reached into the pot to help pull her free, hurriedly trying to ask what was wrong.

As she collapsed to the ground and began to sob, coughing as she took large, unsteady breaths, Atem frantically tried to speak to her, "Eshe!? What happened? What's wrong?"

Her hyperventilating wasn't letting up, and Atem was growing more worried with each passing moment, "I-it's okay, Eshe, I'll go and get help!" he tried to assure her, before springing up across the grass and stone pathways towards the archway where a couple of guards were posted.

One of the guards rushed immediately to retrieve a healer, while the other came to her and began to try and question her, "Princess, calm down, were you bitten by a snake?"

Eshe couldn't speak, her lungs burning as she continued to sob, but she managed to shake her head; the guard looked perplexed and concerned, looking over her body for any sign of injury, but he found nothing.

Atem tried to comfort her, rubbing her back and squeezing her shoulders, hoping that something would end her uncontrollable sobbing, but it wasn't until the healer arrived that Eshe began to finally subdue her rigorous respiration.

Eshe was carried to the infirmary with the help of a guard while Atem hurried along behind; the healer assessed Eshe's vitals while instructing her to try and take deeper breaths, and proceeded to create a medicinal concoction of lavender tea to help soothe her.

She'd had a _panic attack_ , the healer told her, which was triggered by the fear response to being in such a tight space; it was nothing serious and so long as she stayed out of enclosed spaces, she would be completely fine.

Once she'd finished her calming lavender tea, Eshe slumped back against the infirmary bed and tried to relax, her body still involuntarily letting out the occasional hiccup and sniffle, while Atem stood by her bedside, having remained quiet the whole time with a look of concern that had yet to lessen.

Eshe sat up after ten minutes of recovering her bearings, at which point Atem looked up from his fidgeting fingers and quietly asked, "Are you okay, Eshe?"

She nodded, letting out a sigh as she rubbed her puffy eyes, "Yeah… I'm okay." She felt drained, both physically and emotionally, and she knew for a fact there was one hiding place she would _never_ choose again.

"I was scared, I thought a snake had bitten you", Atem said softly, a frown on his face as he regarded her with a pondering look, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Eshe bit her bottom lip, her cheeks reddening slightly as she interpreted Atem's words in a way that made it seem like he thought she was babyish for being so afraid of hiding inside a clay pot - that it _had_ to have been something as severe as a snake bite for her fear to be justified.

"I'm fine", she snapped, growing embarrassed, "I'm fine, okay?"

Atem gave a small nod, "...okay."

Eshe looked at him with suspicion, sensing he still had something he wanted to say; she let out another sniffle, rubbing her face against the back of her arm, and peered at the boy expectantly, "What?"

Atem blinked, and shrugged his shoulders slightly, "What was so scary about being in a clay pot?" He obviously tried to make his question sound genuinely curious as opposed to containing any slither of meanness or snark, but the probably innocent inquiry still managed to sound accusatory.

"I don't _know!_ It was scary, okay!?" she snapped, tears springing back to her eyes, she took a shuddery breath and released a whimper, and Atem quickly held up his hands defensively.

"Please don't cry!" Atem knelt on the edge of the bed and hugged the emotional girl, "I- I didn't mean to upset you!"

Eshe blinked the tears away and leaned into the cuddle, she always felt better in the arms of her friend; she breathed a sigh and pressed her face against his shoulder, "It was… like I couldn't breathe. Like the pot was getting smaller while I was inside it, and my legs hurt and I couldn't move and-"

"Shh", Atem rubbed her back, like he usually did when he wanted to offer her comfort, "I get it", he whispered, not unkindly, "It was scary, I get it."

Eshe wasn't entirely sure Atem _did_ get it, but she appreciated his effort to soothe her and help her feel better.

"You're safe, I won't let anything bad happen to you", Atem promised her, and Eshe felt a smile reach her face at the genuineness and protectiveness of his statement.

She hugged him just a little bit tighter.

* * *

Atem fell sick a little while before his ninth birthday, he was confined to his bed for almost a month, and in that month, Eshe was rarely allowed to see the boy. She had to attend her lessons alone, play alone in the gardens, and sit alone for the evening meal, all the while constantly worrying over her closest friend and his health.

It brought back bad memories, memories from when her mother passed on - she hadn't been old enough to understand then, but she was old enough now. The times Eshe was allowed to see Atem, he was quiet and barely there in terms of wakefulness - electing not to speak because he simply did not have the energy to do so, and it terrified her.

She continued to visit the gardens regularly, opting to spend her free time with her bird friends as opposed to moping outside of Atem's chambers because the guards refused to let her enter. She told them she was scared for Atem, holding out her flat palms for a tiny plover bird to perch upon, and it looked up at her, tilting its head as it inspected her saddened face.

It sang to her, and very soon, more birds came, landing around her as they joined in the beautiful birdsong; it brought her comfort, reminding Eshe of the times her mother would sing to her when she was a baby.

Eshe was afraid that her friend would leave her as her mother did, and the thought made her anguished. She didn't know what she would do without Atem; he was always there to make her smile and laugh, and the prospect of a life without him made her shake.

The birds stayed with her, singing until she felt better, and Eshe knew it was their way of telling her to stay strong and have hope.

On the day Atem's illness got particularly bad, Eshe swallowed her anxieties, marched into his room and ordered him to get better; she couldn't let him pass away like her mother did, she _wouldn't_ let him. Eshe would always remember the way his eyes widened at her plea for him to recover, and the way that spark of determination returned to his eyes at the sight of her sadness.

One week later, he was well again.

* * *

Eshe met Dalila and Atsu when she was nine years old; they were new to the palace, a brother and sister of noble birth who had been allowed to do their studies in the royal home under the permission of the pharaoh himself. Eshe had been heading to her own classes when she had passed Dalila as she entered the archives; the green-eyed girl had just finished her lesson, and had blinked her wide eyes as she passed the princess.

Eshe had caught her eye briefly, and performed somewhat of a double-take; she knew for sure that she hadn't seen the girl around before - she would _remember_ seeing a girl her own age in the palace, for there were not many children living within.

The other girl grew flustered as the princess looked at her, and Eshe tilted her head confusedly at the girl's steadily reddening face; Eshe simply smiled, "Hi, what's your name?"

Green eyes widened further as Eshe spoke to the girl, and in response, the girl stuttered, "I- I'm Dalila. You must be the princess", she squeaked, her voice high-pitched and wobbly with nerves. Dalila quickly curtsied and Eshe giggled.

"It's nice to meet you, Dalila!" Eshe exclaimed with a winning smile, "I haven't seen you here before, are you new to the palace?"

Dalila nodded eagerly, her lips twitching into a nervous grin, "M-my father sent my twin brother and I here to study, we're going to be staying at the palace for a while… m-maybe we could… be friends?" her face immediately flushed after the words left her mouth, as if she was afraid she had misspoken in the presence of the princess, but Eshe gave the girl a reassuring smile.

"I'd love to be friends!" Eshe spoke enthusiastically. While Atem was her best and closest friend, it would be wonderful to be able to spend time with others her own age when her free time clashed with the prince's lessons, "Oh! I can show you the gardens! It's my favourite place!" the princess gushed, immediately growing excited at the anticipation of making a new friend.

Dalila shyly brought her hand to her face, pressing it against her red cheek as she glimpsed at Eshe with a look of adoration, "I- I'm so happy to meet you, you're really pretty- my mother told me you were pretty- she's been to the palace before and she saw you once- sh-she wasn't kidding, you're really pretty-"

Eshe blushed at the repeated compliment nestled amongst Dalila's rambles, "Oh! Thank you!" she giggled; it wasn't often that she was showered with such genuine-sounding accolades - the maids occasionally called her pretty, but something about the way Dalila said it made it sound far more lavishing.

As it happened, Dalila's study schedule gave her free time that mostly coincided with Eshe's, and so, when they were both free, they sat together in the palace gardens and just… talked.

Eshe quickly learnt that Dalila's brother, Atsu, was pursuing lessons in magic under one of the young graduate magicians, Mahad - who was friends with Atem, and that Atsu had wanted to be a magician since he was four years old. The princess did eventually meet the boy a couple of weeks later, and the nine year old bowed politely to her and smiled, making a teasing remark to his sister that he was surprised she was allowed to hang out with royalty. Dalila had rolled her eyes and pouted indignantly.

"Even here at the palace, you won't stop making fun", Dalila had grumbled, and Eshe had tried to hide her snickering, finding humour in the relationship between the two siblings.

Eshe had hoped to introduce Dalila and Atsu to Atem, it would've been nice for them to all play together, but the prince had far more classes to attend, things involving self-defense, sword fighting, and useful skills that he was required to learn in order to run the country when he inevitably became king. _Rarely_ did the four children ever have a free period together; then there was the fact that Dalila didn't seem interested in meeting or playing with the prince, in fact, when Eshe had suggested the idea, Dalila's eyebrows had twitched and she'd given the briefest shake of her head, an action that screamed discomfort at the proposal.

It saddened Eshe that Dalila didn't want to be friends with the prince, especially when she gave no real reason, the sandy-haired girl simply told her that she wanted the play with Eshe, and _only_ Eshe.

When Eshe had told Atem about her new friends, his expression had changed ever-so-slightly, but it stood out to Eshe like a sore thumb. His lips had pursed, his eyebrows had knitted in displeasure, eyes narrowing minutely, and then his gaze flickered away.

"What's that look for?" Eshe asked, nudging the prince gently on the shoulder, arching a curious eyebrow.

"Nothing", Atem murmured dismissively, but Eshe was far too perceptive to know that it was definitely more than nothing.

"Don't lie, tell me", she insisted, and Atem's lip curled down in a pout.

"If you have new friends, you won't have time for me", he said quietly, and Eshe's eyes widened.

What a ridiculous notion, she thought, and told him so.

She would always have time for her favourite person.

* * *

There was a time when Atem had adopted a careless streak, feeling the need to go against his father's or the High Priest's orders. He was ten years old, and he thought sneaking around behind the backs of authoritative figures without them knowing made him somehow superior, or that for some reason, he was trying to impress Eshe with how much of a rebel he could be.

Then again, she _had_ agreed to go along with him, so did she really have the right to point out his faults?

"We shouldn't be doing this, Atem. Do you know how much trouble we'll be in when someone finds out we left the palace unsupervised? Without guards?" Eshe whispered to her friend, standing close to him so as to speak in hushed voices without any of the Egyptian citizens around them picking up on their conversation. The prince and princess were disguised with concealing, linen cloaks, hoods pulled up over their heads to mask their identities.

Atem smirked, turning to raise an eyebrow at the girl, " _If_ they find out", the boy corrected her, "Don't worry, we won't get caught. Where's your sense of adventure, Esh?"

Eshe grumbled; it wasn't that she didn't have a sense of adventure, it was just that she wasn't as keen to disobey those who knew better than they did, and leaving the palace _without_ the protection of guards was _absolutely_ dangerous.

There were bad people in the world; that was a fact, she and Atem had _both_ been taught that as royalty, they would be the targets of various malicious plans or schemes to help further the malevolent intentions of others who didn't care about hurting people for their own personal gain. They were also taught that by obeying the orders of the crown, and making sure they never put themselves in situations where they didn't have a personal guard with them, that they should be perfectly fine.

So why in the world had Eshe agreed to leave the palace with Atem and venture into the city in disguise?

Because the stubborn boy would've gone either way, and Eshe would be damned if she let the boy leave the palace completely alone.

"What if someone recognises us? Your little plan would be history, we'd be in trouble, or even in danger- what if someone _knows who we are_ and _takes us away?_ " Eshe snapped quietly in Atem's ear, and the boy stopped, curling his warm fingers around her hand; he smiled at her reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Eshe. Remember, I'll never let anything bad happen to you", he told her, and turned to resume their trek through the bustling city.

"It's not _that_ simple, Atem", Eshe spoke, raising her voice slightly, before she clamped her mouth shut - if anyone heard her speaking the prince's name, they might get suspicious, "It's not as simple as promising you won't let anything happen to me. What if something happens that's not within your control?" she continued in a more hushed tone.

"I've got _everything_ under control", Atem insisted, and then grinned as they reached the market area. Eshe looked up and around, catching the scent of freshly baked sweets, and the glint of inexpensive jewellery sitting on stalls in a more open, wide area. People were visiting each of the market stands, looking over the array of items for sale with expressions that were torn as they wondered what to spend their money on.

The setting was… new. Eshe had never been to the market without being escorted; as reluctant as she was to admit it, it was refreshing to be there when people didn't know who she was and weren't paying attention to her.

It was fun to watch people be themselves and not stare at her or the prince with bewildered expressions.

Atem was smiling at her with a knowing look, and it was infuriating.

Eshe sighed and let Atem lead her through the market; Eshe made a conscious effort not to bump into anyone accidentally - the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself - however, the area was exceedingly crowded, and it made Eshe feel uncomfortable.

"...Atem", she murmured quietly, "Can we _please_ go?"

Atem ignored her plea, leading her through the crowds with a firm grip on her hand; he didn't appear to be leading her anywhere in particular, he just didn't want to head back to the palace just yet.

"Atem, _please_ ", Eshe said again, "I want to go home."

"Just ten minutes, okay?" Atem bargained, "Ten minutes, and then we can go."

Eshe sighed, "...Alright. Ten minutes."

Atem was satisfied; they walked down the sandy street, passing stalls selling fruit and vegetables, smaller stands full of beautiful baubles and gift items, and even a stall selling pretty dresses. Eshe paused, looking over the dresses; they didn't appear to be made with more expensive materials like the dresses in her wardrobe at the palace, but there was something to them that made them desirable. They were made professionally, the stitching was expertly done, and one of them had a pretty pattern sewn into the collar.

"Is the young lady interested in a pretty dress?" the elderly man behind the stall inquired warmly, and Eshe felt her heart race as he looked at her.

"O-oh I… um, I… just looking, thank you-" she squeaked, quickly rushing away from the stall to where Atem was stood at another stand, talking with the vendor. She pulled her hood tighter over her head for fear of being recognised and weaved in and out of people until she reached him; out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shove something inside of his cloak, but thought nothing of it.

Before she reached him, the sound of a scuffle caught her ears.

Eshe swung around, her eyes going straight to the baker's stall, where the bread merchant was in the process of roughly dragging a young girl away from the stand; her throat grew taut with anger at the brutal display, it seemed the man did not care if he hurt the girl.

Other people had turned to watch, and Eshe heard the merchant yell something of a threat, about what happens to little thieves who think they can take whatever they want, "You know what we do thieves around here, kid? We cut off their fingers!"

The young girl - who was dressed in dirty rags and couldn't have been older than six - began to scream and cry, apologising and begging to be let go, and Eshe sprung forward as the man shoved the girl roughly to the floor and looked as though he were about to kick her.

" _Stop!_ " the princess ordered, and the vendor turned to glare at her, "Whatever she took, I'll pay for it. Just let her go."

The man was tall and slender, a wiry grey beard hanging from his chin, and burning anger in his dark eyes, "Let her go so she can just steal again tomorrow? She needs to learn her lesson!"

Eshe bristled, "If the food is paid for then what's the problem!? _Let her go_!"

"Tch! Who do you think you are?" the man growled, standing to his full height to make himself more intimidating, and Eshe grit her teeth, figuring it was more important for the little girl to be safe than it was for Eshe to avoid trouble.

"I'm Princess Eshe, and I order you to let this girl go!" she exclaimed, pulling back her hood to reveal her face; the man stared at her for two whole seconds before bursting into a fit of wicked laughter.

"And _I'm_ the pharaoh!" the man retorted mockingly; Eshe's eyes grew wide and she looked around at the people who had stopped to observe the commotion, they all looked at her skeptically, some raised their eyebrows and some shook their heads, probably with a fleeting thought of ' _kids these days_ '.

Eshe blinked wildly at the man; it was true she hadn't made many public appearances in the more common areas of the city, but she had travelled to the marketplace several times with the prince in the past with her guards, did they _truly_ not recognise her?

"I- I _am_ the princess!" she squeaked, a nervous waver in her voice; she stepped closer to move between the horrible man and the trembling child on the ground.

"Get outta my way, _girl_!" the man hissed, grabbing her arm with enough strength to leave a sizeable bruise; Eshe grunted as the man dragged her away from the girl, trying to squirm out of his grip.

" _Unhand her!"_ Atem's furious voice made itself known as he appeared from the crowds, snaking through a few curious citizens before he stood authoritatively before the man, " _Unhand her this instant!"_

The man rolled his eyes, "Not another stupid brat", he spat, "For the last time, get lost, you little runts!"

Atem threw his hood back, revealing the distinctive tri-coloured hair that unmistakably belonged to the prince of Egypt, his deep purple eyes roaring with fire, "Let her go", his voice was frightfully calm, "Or you _will_ be punished."

There was a collective gasp from the surrounding crowds, and immediately people fell to their knees in respect, bowing before their prince; Eshe felt the tight hand on her arm go slack as the man's jaw dropped in shock, immediately the princess pulled away and hurried to kneel beside the young girl, who was still shaking on the ground.

"M-my prince", the merchant stuttered, before quickly dropping to his knees, bowing his head low, "I- I had no idea it was you!"

Atem's eyes flickered to Eshe and the little girl she was comforting, he noticed the red imprint that was becoming visible on the princess's arm and his jaw clenched. He turned his head back to the merchant sharply and spoke through gritted teeth.

"I could have you killed for this", Atem spoke threateningly, and the man began to shake, lowering his head to the ground as he plead loudly.

"Please, my prince, forgive me! Had I known the princess's true identity, I would never have grabbed her- please, I have a pregnant wife and young child to feed!" he begged, and Atem's eyes narrowed.

"And yet you would hurt a young girl without care? I don't believe you!" the prince shot back, and the merchant raised his head, a desperate look on his wrinkled face.

"I- I'm telling the truth! My son is three years old and my wife is five months pregnant, I swear to you, my prince, I would not lie to you-" the man spoke with growing dismay, the words tumbling from his mouth in a hurry, and Eshe could see the way his face paled and his eyes became moist; she looked up at the prince.

"He's telling the truth", Eshe told him, and Atem looked to her briefly before looking down his nose at the man on his knees.

"You won't get the death penalty, but you _will_ receive punishment for your actions. For now, give this young girl some food, and _maybe_ your sentence won't be so severe", the prince's tone was nothing short of a warning, and the man hung his head, whimpering another string of apologetic words, before jumping up to retrieve a bag filled with several different types of fruit.

The man shakily handed the sack of food to Eshe, murmuring a swift apology, before he resumed his kneeling position in front of the prince; Atem motioned to Eshe to pull her hood back up, and she did so keenly, realising that everyone around was staring right at her - it was probably in vain, there was no way this news wouldn't travel hastily to the palace.

"Expect a visit from the palace guards _very_ soon", Atem told the man, before turning on his heel, pulling his hood back up to cover his distinguishing hair; Eshe quickly encouraged the girl to her feet, giving her soothing words of reassurance that everything would be okay, the princess took the young girls small hand and followed Atem down a few side alleys.

When they were sure they were no longer drawing attention to themselves or being followed, Atem sighed, turning back to Eshe with a grim look on his face, "I don't think we'll get out of this one so easily…"

Eshe gave him a wary look, "You think?" she looked down at the little girl, whose head was bowed, and rested a hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay? What's your name?"

The little girl looked up at Eshe, blinking her wide eyes, before quietly responding, "M-my name is Khepri- I… I'm s-sorry", the young girl burst into tears, "I'm sorry for s-stealing! My mama's sick, she gave me money to bring home food b-but a man took it from me, I didn't know w-what to do, my mama's sick…" she trailed off from her barely comprehensible babbling and broke into sobs and Eshe quickly hurried to pacify her.

"Shh, it's okay. It's gonna be okay", Eshe told her, holding out the sack full of fruit, "You've got food here, see? Khepri, do you have any other family? Your father?"

Khepri tearfully shook her head, "It's just me and mama", she admitted softly, rubbing her eyes. Eshe frowned, looking up at Atem; the prince was regarding the young girl with a sympathetic look, gently biting his lower lip as he tried to think of what to do next.

"We have to take her home", Eshe told him, and Atem nodded slightly.

"I was thinking, we could send a healer to her home to examine her mother", the prince suggested, and the little girl sniffled, rubbing her eyes again.

"Mama can't afford medicine", the little girl whimpered, her eyes glossy with moisture, and Atem smiled sadly at her.

"You don't need to worry about that", the boy told her, and the young girl's eyes widened in surprise, before her lip began to tremble again; she lowered her head in respect.

"T-thank you", she whispered, " _Thank you!_ "

They'd planned to return Khepri home, and then make their way back to the palace to send a healer to the girl's home, but as soon as they stepped out of the alley, they were surrounded by soldiers, and one very displeased Captain of the Guard, who crossed his burly arms as he faced them.

"I'm here to escort you both back to the palace, pharaoh's orders", the Captain told them sternly, and they both looked down in shame, relenting.

"We'll come back, but can you spare a guard to escort this young girl to her home? And when we return to the palace, will you have a healer sent to her mother? She is sick, and they're unable to support themselves", there was an underlying plea to his tone, he didn't want to leave the girl to fend for herself.

The Captain's eyes narrowed slightly and his eyes flickered to the young girl, before a thoughtful look passed over his face, and eventually, he sighed, "Very well." He motioned to a guard, commanding him to do as the prince requested, and young Khepri looked worriedly up at Eshe.

"It's okay", Eshe reassured the girl with a smile, "This man will take you home safely and we will send a healer", the princess promised, and Khepri nodded, offering a tearful smile, before moving to walk alongside the guard chosen to escort her.

The prince and princess were swiftly returned to the palace, where they were brought before a very disappointed looking pharaoh, who looked down at them, his expression unsmiling and steely; Eshe felt herself swallow nervously under his scrutiny, and glanced over to Atem, who looked utterly guilt-ridden.

"What do you have to say for yourself, my son?" Aknamkanon spoke, he sounded completely let down and it tugged at Eshe's heartstrings to hear him speak so downheartedly to the prince.

No… Atem had stepped up and saved her and Khepri from that disgusting man; he didn't deserve to be punished- he'd dealt with the situation in a grown-up manner, she couldn't see him so dispirited.

The punishment for lying to a pharaoh was _quite_ extreme, but they did _always_ go easier on her than they did Atem.

"It was my idea", Eshe spoke, "I convinced Atem to come to the marketplace with me-"

"No, it was me. It was my idea. I'm sorry for disobeying you, father. I accept any punishment you see fit, but please don't blame Eshe", the prince interrupted immediately, and Eshe gave him a wide-eyed look, shocked that he would admit to his misconduct without hesitance.

He had truly grown as a person from his days of allowing Eshe to take the blame for his mistakes.

Aknamkanon looked between the two children with a stony look, before Eshe noticed the minute upwards curl of the corner of his lip - he was _smiling?_

"You're finally beginning to take responsibility for your actions", Atem's father spoke, a very slight hint of - _pride?_ \- in the pharaoh's voice as he looked to his son.

Atem looked up in surprise, also having caught the pleased tone that was barely there; Aknamkanon continued to speak.

"When you take ownership of your mistakes, you are admitting to your faults and working to better yourself. You are growing into a fine young man, Atem", the pharaoh spoke, and Atem's surprise grew, his eyes widening. Eshe watched with delight as Atem's mouth formed a smile and he looked up at his father with pride.

"Of course, that doesn't mean you are free from punishment. You did disobey my orders", the king's voice once again grew stern, and Atem's face fell immediately, his cheeks turning red.

"Yes, I- I understand, father", Atem murmured, and Eshe bit her lip to hide a smile.

Later, when Atem had been informed that he would no longer be allowed a free period each day, for at least a month, to break up his studying schedule, the boy sat, slumped on the bench in the courtyard beside Eshe, an exaggerate, grim look on his face.

"It could've been worse", Eshe playfully told him, nudging his shoulder slightly, "He could have refused to let you eat sweets for, like, a whole year, or something", the princess snickered slightly, and Atem shook his head.

"I liked my free period. I spend them with you, remember?" the prince mumbled grumpily, and Eshe pouted.

"Oh yeah…" It looked like she wouldn't be spending as much time with Atem as she usually did, "That sucks…"

Atem sighed, his eyebrows knitting, "How do you think they found us so fast, anyway? There weren't any guards around when I removed my hood, but the _Captain of the Guard_ knew we were there!"

Eshe swallowed, her gaze drifting elsewhere, and Atem's eyes narrowed on her.

"You didn't… tell anyone where we were going… did you?"

Busted.

"N-nooo", Eshe murmured, in the most unconvincing voice of all time, and Atem's face looked betrayed.

"Who did you tell!?" he demanded, and Eshe's cheeks grew pink.

"I only told one person… I was worried, okay? I wanted _someone_ to know where we were in case something happened!" Eshe justified hastily.

" _Who?_ "

Eshe paused, "...Dalila."

Atem threw his hands up in a dramatic show of exasperation, "She told on us. She definitely did."

"Nooo", Eshe shook her head, "I'm sure something else led the guards to us. I told her only to tell if we were gone for too long. We were barely gone an hour."

"She _told_ on us", Atem insisted, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Come on, what would she have to gain from that?"

The prince gnawed the inside of his cheek for a moment, "I don't know, but she did."

He seemed so sure of it, and Eshe sighed, glaring down at the stone below her sandals, "I'm sorry, okay? I was just trying to be sensible."

Atem went quiet for a while and they sat together silently; the sound of running water from the fountain behind them was the only noise aside from the telltale tweeting of nearby birds, and suddenly, Atem reached into his pocket, holding something out in his enclosed hand. He tried to look nonchalant.

"I got you something", the prince murmured, "from the market."

Eshe rose an eyebrow curiously, holding out her hand under his to catch whatever he was offering to her; the prince opened his hand and a small piece of jewellery fell into her palm. Her lips parted as she held it closer to her face, inspecting the item closely; it was a hairpin, small and simple, and the colour of the material was a pleasant, soft green, leading Eshe to believe it was made from jade. The hairpin formed the shape of a bird with its wings outstretched.

It was beautiful, and Eshe looked up at Atem with red-tinged cheeks, and noted the way he avoided her gaze.

"I saw it and thought you might like it, so…" he trailed off, hesitantly looking up at the girl beside him, and Eshe smiled, biting her lip shyly.

"Thank you, Atem."

The prince gave her a smile that she thought was dazzling.

* * *

Eshe's firm stare bored into the back of Atem's head from where she was hunched over her papyrus scrolls, working on her studies; she could see the tense knot in his shoulders as he looked stiffly up at Priest Seto - the newest of the High Priests - with an expression that she couldn't see at her current angle, but was _sure_ it was one of extreme discomfort.

"W-what?" she heard Atem stutter in response to the question the stern, blue-eyed priest had directed at him; the princess's heart was pounding as she regarded the prince with a taut, inquisitive look without his knowledge.

"I said, you're almost twelve years old, so it's about time you focused your efforts on acquiring a wife. Have none of the other priests approached you about such matters? It's important that you produce an heir as soon as possible", Priest Seto repeated, his eyes narrowed and lips pursed - Eshe had a feeling that was simply his neutral face, however.

"I… um, I…" the prince stammered, and Eshe rose an eyebrow at his flustered reaction, a spark of hope dwelling in her chest.

She'd had a crush on Atem for a while now - a crush that she did not dare admit to anyone - and it had irritated her to know end that suddenly, while in his presence, she found herself unable to hold his gaze on more than one occasion. The princess often found herself staring at him whenever he was unaware of her scrutiny, as she took in every detail of his handsome face.

Eshe wasn't entirely sure when her infatuation had developed; it almost seemed as though it had steadily grown to a point, and then just hit her all at once. One day she had looked at him when he was in the middle of laughing at one of Mana's silly jokes and Eshe had realised just how much she enjoyed hearing the result of his mirth - the way the corners of his eyes wrinkled as his smile grew was simply adorable.

And now, she watched him like a hawk, perhaps a little too overly curious about his thoughts on finding a wife and starting a family in preparation of his monarchical future.

She knew it was wrong of her to feel so jealous at the thought of Atem pursuing someone else, but somewhere inside her she hoped he felt at least a tenth of what she was beginning to feel for him.

"I don't want a wife!" Atem grumbled hastily under Seto's steadily narrowing eyes, "I know what's going to happen. You're going to host some stupid banquet and invite a whole bunch of girls, and you're gonna force me to pick one, but I'm _not interested_ ", Atem retaliated resolutely, the tips of his ears growing red.

Eshe felt her heart sink, and she lowered her gaze dejectedly to the papyrus scroll before her; of course Atem didn't feel the same way about her - that would be far too much to ask. He saw her as a friend, as he had done since they were five years old.

It still hurt to hear the object of her chaste affections talk in such a blasé way about finding a wife to bear his future children.

It took Eshe a moment to realise Seto was staring at her; and she immediately grew pink, hoping the priest had not noticed the way her face had fallen at Atem's proclamation.

With a sigh, the priest looked back to the prince, "You do realise that, whether you like it or not, this will still happen? As the future king, you are required to produce an heir. It is your duty as a ruler."

Atem sounded as though he was speaking through gritted teeth, "I don't want to think about _that_ yet."

"You need to be prepared for it", Seto told him, looking a little wearied by the prince's lack of compliance on the matter, "Because if you're not, your bride will be chosen for you, and it may not be what you were hoping for", with that, the priest's eyes flickered back towards Eshe before he turned gracefully and strode out of the archives.

"I'm not _hoping_ for anything!" Atem called after him, before childishly adding, "You're just grumpy because I kicked your butt at Senet!"

After that incident, Eshe took to watching Atem from afar with every chance she got; not that she didn't spend time every day with him, but she had began to notice the way he acted differently when he knew she was around. The boy would erect a mask of 'coolness' whenever he saw Eshe coming, like he was making a conscious effort to act more indifferent and nonchalant, and less like the huge dork he really was.

Eshe didn't like it, so when she saw him studying alone in the courtyard one day during her free period, she tucked and rolled into the bushes swiftly, with what she thought was uncharacteristic grace, and knelt within the shrubbery, watching him closely without him realising.

She didn't care that her dress was becoming caked with dirt, she only cared about the way the boy tilted his head as he read over the abundance of papyrus scrolls he possessed. She cared very much about the way his tongue poked out and brushed against his upper lip when he was completely stumped by what he was reading. She cared about the way he squinted down at the paper with knitted eyebrows and inconspicuously mouthed the word 'what?' as he struggled to decipher the difficult-to-understand research that his tutor had given him.

Princess Eshe was digging herself into an obsessive hole that she was sure she wouldn't be able to escape.

* * *

 **Notes: This is an official two-part chapter! I originally planned for this and the next one to be one full chapter, but halfway through I realised I'd written a WHOLE lot past my word goal, so I split it. It MAY come earlier than usual next week ;) Please review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	31. The Dying Of The Light, Part Two

Transcending Time

Chapter Thirty: The Dying Of The Light, Part Two

"I need help trying to figure out what to get Atem for his birthday."

Eshe was willingly spending time in the archives, knowing Atem wouldn't wander there in his free time, so that she could broaden her ideas on what to get the young prince for his twelfth birthday; it was quite a conundrum for the princess - what do you get a boy who has practically everything he wants at the wave of a hand?

"I don't know why you're asking me", Dalila murmured as she lazily braided her own hair with nimble fingers, "I don't really know him, why would I know what he likes?" Her tone was disinterested and she arched an eyebrow to magnify just how much she simply did not care.

Eshe pouted, "Help me out here, Dalila, I need to come up with something! His birthday is in three days!"

The palace was in uproar over the excessive excitement that was growing as the big day approached; everyone was busy planning. The invitations had been sent out and many noble guests were expected to show up, there would be a great deal of food and drink consumed throughout the day, and the dancing and entertainment would be spectacular - it was to be the grandest affair - at least until the prince's _next_ birthday.

Dalila shrugged, brushing off Eshe's question, "I don't know, get him some jewellery or something?"

Eshe sighed, "He's got all the jewellery he could ever need." It was true. Atem's jewellery collection was even bigger than Eshe's, he had more jewellery than he knew what to do with, from bands to anklets to earrings, and he always looked dazzling whenever he wore them.

Dalila smirked, twirling her fingers around the gold-link necklace hanging around her neck, "You can _never_ have enough jewellery."

The princess nibbled on her lower lip, shaking her head, unconvinced, "I don't know. I don't just wanna get him any old piece of jewellery… I want it to _mean_ something."

Dalila rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you'll think of something", the girl spoke, and then her gaze travelled across the tables and benches, catching sight of someone standing by the bookcase.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Eshe looked up as Dalila raised her voice, glancing up at Atsu who was hiding on the other side of one of the shelves; the princess rose an eyebrow as the boy shuffled out of his 'hiding spot' with a grin on his face.

"I just wanted to see how long it'd take you to notice me", was his excuse; the student magician strode over to the table they were sitting at and took his own seat, leaning over the table as he brushed a hand through his messy, sand-coloured hair, "I hear you're having trouble finding a gift for the prince."

Eshe gave the boy an exasperated look, "Oh, and by that, you mean you were eavesdropping?"

Atsu shrugged, "I just _happened_ to hear it, I wasn't trying to."

"Sure…" Eshe grumbled, arching her brow suspiciously.

The student magician smirked, "I have an idea", the boy offered, "How about… a flower?" as he suggested it, he pulled a lotus from his robes, holding it out to the princess in his palm.

" _Where_ did you get this? Did you pick this from the garden?" the princess inquired with a frown, and Atsu waved his hand dismissively.

"It's no big deal. Anyway, flowers are nice gifts, right? He'd probably love it", the boy spoke matter-of-factly, and Eshe shook her head, her lips forming a clear pout.

"I doubt he'd be amused if I plucked a lotus flower from the garden for his present. They're common flowers, and he _doesn't_ like people picking them", Eshe argued, "So don't do it again."

Atsu rolled his eyes, " _Exactly_ , they're common flowers - what if you got him a _rare_ flower?"

"And just how am I supposed to do that?" Eshe asked curiously, a hint of curiosity in the tone that she had meant to sound impatient; Atsu sure was spending a lot of time getting to his point.

"I've been researching a spell", Atsu spoke, his tone rising excitedly, "I'm trying to learn to turn lotuses into daisies. Daisies are rarer flowers!"

Dalila let out a weary sigh, which led Eshe to believe this wasn't the first the other girl had heard of it, "...Right…?" the princess spoke, her interest undeniably peaked, "So you're saying you can turn this lotus right here… into a daisie?"

Atsu handed the bloom out for Eshe to take, "Well, I _think_ so, if I've got the spell right", the boy told her, "Just cup it in your hands, like this - I just need to recite the spell."

Eshe decided to entertain the boy, giving him her rapt attention, eager to witness a little magic in action, "Alright." She took the light pink lotus into her palms, the delicate petals laying gently against her fingers; it was a beautiful flower, but it seemed fragile.

Dalila stared unconcernedly at the flower as Atsu rose his hands above it, closed his eyes, and began speaking a quiet chant of words Eshe was unfamiliar with; the princess rose an eyebrow as she glanced over the boy's concentrated expression and knitted eyebrows.

Movement from behind Atsu caught Eshe's eye, her eyes flickered over his shoulder, landing on someone across the room - a boy their age with long, perfectly straight black hair hanging down past his shoulders; he moved gracefully, his white robes fluttering around him as he sat at the bench, opening the book he held in his hands. It usually wouldn't have been so conspicuous for Eshe to see someone sitting down at an archive table with a book in hand.

But the boy was staring right at them, and he wasn't trying to hide it.

More to the point, the boy continued to stare passively in their direction, despite the frown the princess was returning back at him; it wasn't often that someone dared to stare royalty in the face - not that Eshe ever felt offended when people looked her in the eyes - but it surprised her to see someone eyeing her without subtlety.

"Who's that?" Eshe wondered aloud, breaking Atsu's focus. The student magician blinked his eyes open, a look of irritation passing over his face as the princess interrupted his spell; Atsu trailed off while Dalila looked up over her brother's shoulder, catching sight of the white-robed boy immediately.

"It's Rura", Dalila whispered to her brother, and Atsu frowned, glancing over his shoulder.

Eshe watched as Atsu partook in a heavy staring contest with the other boy, no words spoken, and the princess sighed, letting the lotus slip from her palms onto the table.

"Okay, well, I'm going to go and seek permission to head down to the city marketplace. There's always cute knick-knacks being sold down there - maybe I can find something Atem would like", Eshe announced, standing up from her place.

Atsu quickly broke his staring contest, turning back to the princess, "But I didn't get to show you my spell!" he spoke, a restrained whine within the lilt of his speech.

"You can show me later", Eshe responded, "I _need_ to find a gift for Atem!" She shuffled off the bench, straightening out her dress before leaning down to give Dalila a hug, "See you later", she spoke with a smile, and Dalila smiled, happily returning the affectionate gesture.

"You better", Dalila replied cheekily.

Atsu had become quiet, crossing his arms as he glared down at the lotus, and Eshe shook her head at his childish display. Before she left, she glanced back up at Rura, whose gaze had lowered to his book.

* * *

Eshe was having second thoughts.

It was the day of the prince's birthday, and as of midday, she had not yet had the chance to present him with her carefully chosen gift just yet. Atem was already deep within the celebrations, enjoying the entertainment and the attention, and - of course - all the incredibly delicious food. Ideally, Eshe had wanted to give him his gift in private _before_ the festivities had begun, so that just in case he wasn't impressed with the item she had thoughtfully bought for him, she wouldn't have to face embarrassment in front of the entire hall full of party guests.

Unfortunately, the prince's attention had been stolen away as the celebrations started earlier than Eshe assumed, and she had not yet had the chance to approach him alone with her attentively papyrus-wrapped gift.

Eshe looked down at the small item in her hands; she had even tied thread around the papyrus wrappings herself in order to hold it all together. The longer she had to wait to give it to him, the more doubtful she felt that Atem would like the gift.

She had travelled to the marketplace with her favourite guard, Asim, and she had browsed several stalls before coming across one that sold sweet trinkets and jewellery that wasn't as grand as the adornments she was used to - but were still gorgeous and handcrafted with such care. Some of them, she noticed, were even made with precious stones.

The stall vendor was a sweet elderly woman, who seemed ecstatic and honoured to have royalty browsing her wares; she had bowed respectfully and offered the princess the warmest of smiles as she welcomed her, "Princess", she spoke softly, "It is a privilege to have you here at my stall. May I help you find what you're looking for?"

Eshe had smiled at the old woman, whose face was wrinkled and aged, and oh so kind, "Thank you! I'm looking for a gift for the prince", the princess spoke, "for his birthday", she added as an afterthought, despite the fact that everyone in the kingdom was aware of the day that was hastily approaching.

Once again, the old woman had seemed positively delighted that Eshe was looking for a gift idea in _her_ store; she happily informed the princess that she'd made all the items on sale with the help of her two daughters.

"My children are very talented at making jewellery", the old woman had told her, "what kind of embellishments were you looking for as a gift?"

Eshe's eyes had skimmed the contents of the tables before her, looking for something that stood out, "I was thinking, perhaps a bracelet of sorts. Something pretty and meaningful", she told the woman.

Immediately, the woman had excitedly, but carefully, plucked up an item to her right, "How about something like this, my princess?" she asked, holding out the piece for Eshe to inspect.

It was a bracelet of thick golden thread and several gorgeous, green smooth-stones wound into the strands securely, spread evenly around the twine. It was beautiful, Eshe decided almost immediately, but she needed to know more about it. It was one thing, simply gifting Atem a pretty item to wear on his wrist, but she wanted there to be something more to it - something that could convey how much she felt for him.

The woman had placed it into her hands and the princess examined it closely, "What stones are these?" she inquired curiously.

"Ahh", the old woman smiled, "These are malachite, my dear. The beautiful, rich green colour of the stone leaves no doubt of its importance as a jewel. Its opaque strength is mesmerising, don't you think? It is certainly one of my favourite stones. Not the most expensive of jewels, but still glorious."

Eshe nodded as the woman spoke, brushing her thumb against the smoothness - the colour was definitely eye-catching and powerful, and it seemed to demand respect while it also appeared soothing. The stones were patterned with darker, natural lines, and it had a certain flow and energy to it that Eshe found comforting.

"These stones are believed to represent security, and protect those who wear them. This jewel of protection is said to absorb negative energies from the body, and leave the wearer feeling peaceful and content", the woman explained, and Eshe's lips parted with interest.

More than anything, Eshe wanted Atem to always feel protected, and given the somewhat careless streak he had had in the past, it was probably advantageous to present him with such a gift.

With a grin, Eshe turned back to Asim, who had stood dutifully beside her the whole time, his eyes on their surroundings, watching everyone like a hawk, "What do you think, Asim? It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Asim's eyes flickered down briefly to the bracelet, a little reluctant to take his eyes off his surroundings - as Eshe's guard, he was tasked with protecting her, and he took his job _very_ seriously.

"That it is, princess", he responded with a curt nod, looking back up to the marketplace, "I have no doubt that the prince would like it very much."

Expect, now that Eshe was confronted with the task of handing over her gift, she had every doubt in the _world_ that Atem was going to like it.

What was she thinking? Presenting a rich prince with a piece of jewellery that was made by a sweet old lady and her two daughters - of course, no disrespect to them, it was still a beautiful piece, but the prince was used to only the grandest pieces of jewellery that cost an arm and a leg.

What if he thought her gift was little more than useless scrap?

Eshe bit her lip, wondering if it would be better to simply not give him a present at all… no, she couldn't do _that_. It would make the prince very sad if Eshe, his closest friend, hadn't bothered to get him a present, and besides, Atem had already glanced her way several times, and he had clearly caught sight of the wrapped item she held so cautiously.

 _Speaking of which._

Atem was looking straight at her from his place at the banquet table, probably wondering why she hadn't spoken to him yet, and _why_ it seemed like she was avoiding doing so. Eshe was stood near a group of nobles, trying to act like she wasn't there, as she pretended to watch the dancers twist and twirl.

Eshe noticed the prince move out of the corner of her eye, and blinked a few times fast as he began to head towards her direction. Her heart sped up as she realised she couldn't really turn and scuttle away without it being severely obvious that she was trying to evade him.

He looked more handsome than usual today, he wore blue and gold earrings that twinkled in the light, shiny gold bands on his arms, a white tunic and shendyt with a colourful blue sash around his waist inlaid with gold; his eyes were lined perfectly with kohl and Eshe could definitely see a little blue eyeshadow dusting his eyelids.

Eshe let out an imperceptive sigh as the boy reached her and gave her an odd look, his eyebrows were drawn together ever-so-slightly and his lips formed a confused smile, and it made the princess feel somewhat of an idiot for staring at the birthday boy so dumbly for so long without handing over her gift to him.

"Are you alright?" there was a hint of concern in Atem's voice, and Eshe felt herself blush a little, partially from embarrassment, and partially from something else entirely.

"Yeah…" she responded unconvincingly, and felt guilty the moment Atem's smile fell at her unexpectedly unenthusiastic tone, on his _birthday_ of all days, "I'm mean- _yes!_ I'm fine!" she forced a smile, although she was buzzing with nerves over the item she continued to clutch in her hands.

Atem's smile returned, but it was clear he could sense that something was bothering her, "You haven't eaten yet", he remarked, "there's so many sweets, you need to try them!" He gently placed a hand on her arm, nudging her faintly towards the banquet table, and Eshe bit her lower lip, knowing that if she delayed it any further, the nervousness would only make her feel sick.

"U-um, this is for you", Eshe quickly spoke before she could stop herself; she held out the papyrus-wrapped gift with shaky hands and Atem looked down in surprise, taking the present hesitantly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the prince inquired again, and Eshe nodded her head, inwardly wondering why he wasn't yet opening the present.

"Eshe-" he began, frowning once more at what must've been very odd behaviour for her to display on such an occasion.

"Just open it, please!" Eshe squeaked, trying not to sound too pushy, she swallowed hard as a few eyes turned their way, and cleared her throat as Atem blinked a few times in astonishment at her miniature outburst. Her face was red.

"Okay", Atem spoke, turning his solid attention to the item that had been thrust into his hands just moments before; he carefully pulled at the string, releasing the knot that held the papyrus together and the wrappings fell apart, revealing the gift within.

Eshe held her breath as Atem blinked down at the bracelet that was most likely different from all the other presents he had received already that day; he picked it up with attentive fingers, like it was the most delicate thing in the world, and held it up to examine it. Eshe watched as his eyes widened, his lips parted and curled upwards in a steadily growing smile.

The nerves tumbled out of Eshe and made way for relief at his positive reaction; the princess couldn't help but smile too.

"Eshe… this is-", he held it closer to examine the malachite smooth-stones, "it's beautiful- what are these?"

"They're malachite jewels", Eshe answered softly, her voice quiet and bashful, "They, um, protect you… from negative energies, and other bad… um, things. I- I wanted something that… that shows how much you… mean to me", she paused, and then quickly added, "as- as my friend… my good friend."

Atem looked up at her for a moment, a gleeful look in his gaze that rested on her a little longer than perhaps he had meant, and he quickly reached for the clasp on the bracelet, fiddling to put in on his wrist. Eshe helped him, noting that he had trouble fastening the clasp back up with only one hand, and looked shyly up at him as he took a moment to contemplate the beauty of the piece of jewellery as it adorned him.

"Eshe… thank you", he whispered, his face filled with so much gratitude and sincerity that Eshe felt her heart race for a moment; it raced all the more when he quickly scooped her up into a thankful hug. She was momentarily stupefied as he held her close and the chance to reciprocate the hug almost evaded her, but she managed to seize the opportunity and throw her arms around the boy before he pulled away.

Throughout the rest of the day, every time Eshe glanced towards the prince, she saw him admiring the bracelet around his wrist and occasionally rubbing one of the smooth-stones between his fingertips. He truly delighted in her thoughtful gift.

Her crush on him was still steadily growing.

* * *

Eshe was late for one of her classes; she'd become far too relaxed while reclining below the tree in the garden beside the pond and now she was paying the price for her inattentiveness. She had only meant to sit for ten minutes, but her day dreams had drifted to Atem, who was currently attending his swordsmanship lessons, and her thoughts had gotten away from her, as usual.

She hurried through the arch and padded through the courtyard; her gaze was drawn down to the ground to ensure she didn't trip, and she almost ran head first into Atsu.

"Oh!" the princess squeaked as she halted, stumbling slightly before she could tumble into the boy, "Atsu, what're you doing here?" The boy wore a smile on his face, looking up at her with a slight complacent look to his grin; Eshe quickly realised she didn't have time to stop and chat, "Ahh, sorry, I'm late for classes!"

As she moved to circle him, he stopped her, and Eshe frowned at him, arching a confused eyebrow, "Atsu?"

"I gotta show you my flower trick!" Atsu exclaimed enthusiastically as he pulled a lotus flower out of his pocket. Eshe frowned, figuring the only way he had the flower was to assume he had picked it earlier that day from the gardens, she didn't have time to reprimand him.

"Uh, later, I've got to get to the archives", she told him, trying to step around him, but he blocked her way.

"It'll only take a moment! Please!" he insisted, pouting slightly, and Eshe sighed, unwilling to be the cause of her friend's dejection.

"Alright, okay, just- quickly", she held up her hands and he made a noise of victory before slipping it into her palms. The lotus was a soft pink to orange colour that reminded her of the sunset on a warm evening, and the petals were thin and spiraled perfectly from the centre.

She prompted him again and he rose his hands, immediately launching into his recital of the old spell chant. Eshe become more antsy the longer he spoke, knowing that her tutor would absolutely rebuke her for not showing up to lessons on time.

Eshe frowned down at the ever unchanging lotus bloom as Atsu's words trailed off and he blinked confusedly for a few moments as nothing appeared to happen; Atsu frowned at her.

"I must've said the words wrong, let me try again-"

"I'm sorry, Atsu, but I don't have time", the princess reluctantly refused, she placed the lotus back into his hands and gave him a gentle pat on the back, "Keep at it, though! You'll get it soon, I know you will!"

Before the boy could protest again, Eshe quickly rounded him and hopped up the steps around the outer courtyard pathway; she slowed her step at the sight of someone standing inconspicuously by the apertures and rose an eyebrow. It was Rura, who stared at her as she passed him; out of reflex she gave the boy a smile, and though his face remained completely neutral, he did dip his head in what appeared to be a curt nod.

It did seem suspicious to Eshe, however, that Rura was just standing there, not doing anything in particular.

* * *

Eshe knew she shouldn't be doing what she was doing; there was every chance she'd get caught and end up in trouble, which was not on her agenda, but there were times where she just couldn't help herself.

Atem had clearly rubbed off on her.

The princess crouched behind the low stone partition that served as her much-needed cover; she hid on the upper level around the private quad where the prince was currently in the middle of practising his sword-fighting lessons. His lessons were _supposed_ to be strictly confidential, guards were posted on the other sides of each entrance, but none were stationed so that they could spectate.

The only people that were allowed within the private quad were the prince and his instructor, and _that_ was all.

Eshe had stupidly risked her safety to reach her current observation spot; she had managed to scale a wall, climbed onto a roof, and dropped down onto a bench on the upper observation area, which was generally only accessible with the possession of the right key.

She was _so_ dead if anyone found her, but she was desperate to watch the prince practise such graceful self-defense lessons; Eshe was sure Atem would look majestic while wielding a sword, her brain had been pushing her to break the rules just to see for herself.

At that moment, she could only hear the sound of sandals clacking against stone, the noise of swords occasionally clashing, and the more frequent voice of Atem's instructor admonishing or encouraging him to improve in certain movements.

She chanced a brief peek, poking her head over the top of the partition, and immediately dropped out of sight again when Atem glanced up in her direction; her heart pounded and she bit her lip as she heard Atem's instructor speak again.

"Pay attention, prince! It is vital that you learn how to properly defend yourself. Now, again, from the top." The clash of metal against metal proceeded the instructor's chastising and Eshe figured she was safe and that Atem hadn't seen her; shuffling up the stone wall a little, she peered through a small gap that gave her a limited visual of the sight below.

Both the swords in play were blunt practise blades, used to avoid injuries with the young, unpredictable and inexperienced prince; Atem was stood in an offensive stance, as directed by his teacher, while the big, burly instructor held a defensive position.

"Now, try to disarm me", the man instructed, raising his sword protectively; he took a tentative step to his right, and immediately Atem dashed forward, raising his sword to swipe low at the base of his teacher's blade.

The instructor sidestepped, raising his sword to clank against the prince's, knocking it from the young boy's hand with ease, before he kicked a low swoop with his leg, tripping the prince up, which sent him tumbling to the ground.

Atem grunted as his sword clattered against the stone and glared up at the instructor; Eshe covered her mouth with her hand, hoping her friend wasn't hurt.

"Keep your stance wide, or it'll be easy for your opponent to trip you up!" the instructor exclaimed, "Get up! Try again."

Eshe frowned; Atem's instructor was clearly strict and had no time for messing around. The prince let out a noise of displeasure as he pushed himself up and scrambled to grab his sword; he turned around and faced the man again, his face red from embarrassment.

"Come on, don't just stand there! Disarm me!" the teacher snapped, taking precise steps to his left, holding his sword to his right; Eshe watched as Atem's eyes followed the hand the gripped the training blade, the young prince stepped carefully for a few moments until his teacher moved and left himself wide open, before Atem lunged fast, raising his blade to bring it down on the instructor's sword.

He was promptly tripped again as his teacher dodged and kicked the prince's leg out from under him. Eshe flinched as Atem just about managed to avoid planting his face into the ground; the prince turned and looked up at the bigger man with an incredulous expression, his face growing even more red.

"Don't lunge, and don't go where your opponent leads you", the man spoke, before smirking slightly, "You seem distracted. Let's call it a day, I'll see you back here tomorrow, when your mind is _clear_ and _focused_."

Atem grunted in confirmation and glared down at the floor, his face marred with frustration as the instructor walked away; Eshe smiled slightly, watching the prince brood for a moment before he shuffled to his feet and grabbed his sword. Straightening up, he gave the sword a few graceful twirls in his hand - an action that Eshe thought was quite impressive - that is, until he flicked his wrist a little too quickly and the sword flew from his grip, he tried his best to save it, but the training weapon clanged against the ground for a third time since Eshe had snuck in, and the princess had to clamp her hand over her mouth to avoid giggling like a lunatic at the prince's self-conscious expression. Atem kept his head down, clearly trying to hide his embarrassment - but from who? The instructor was gone, and Atem didn't know she was there… did he?

Later that day, Eshe caught up with Atem at the evening meal and inquired as to how his self-defense lessons were going; the prince looked up at her with a playfully narrow-eyed glare.

"Just fine. I've improved a lot", he stated factually as he popped a grape into his mouth.

Eshe smiled knowingly, "Maybe you can show me some time?"

Atem stopped chewing the grape, giving Eshe a drawn-out pouty look; he said nothing more, but the pointed look in his eyes made it clear he absolutely knew she had been there to watch him make a fool of himself against his instructor.

Eshe decided she liked the pink abashed tinge to his cheeks.

* * *

The princess was not amused. Ever since the midday meal, she'd been giving Atem the silent treatment; the prince had attempted to speak to her several times since and she'd easily brushed him off, looking away or walking away from him when he was in the middle of his sentence, and honestly - Eshe didn't even feel bad about it. Atem deserved it.

"I'm _sorry_ , okay?" Atem told her for perhaps the fifteenth time that day when he caught her walking through the hallway towards the archives, "It was just a joke, I didn't think you'd get so mad!" His apology did not seem sincere, given the wide smile on his face as he spoke.

Eshe simply shook her head and rolled her eyes, continuing on her way to the archives for her upcoming lesson; Atem scurried after her, grabbing her arm to slow her down, and gave her an apologetic smile.

"I really am sorry", he told her, "Talk to me", there was a hint of pleading in his voice and Eshe sighed, turning to glare at him fully.

"I did not find it funny, and obviously you're not sorry or you wouldn't be smiling like that", the princess finally relented her silence and told Atem exactly what was bothering her, "Why did you think it would be funny to dip my honey cake in salt instead of sugar when I wasn't looking?"

She saw Atem bite his lip to try and restrain his mirth, but the boy began to unashamedly giggle even as she narrowed her eyes on him, "The look on your face… it was funny!"

" _Everyone was staring at me while I was gagging! It was not funny!"_

Atem licked his lips, and finally looked down in maybe the tiniest expression of regret, "I'm sorry", he told her again.

"You _ruined_ my after-meal treat", Eshe stated grumpily, "Why should I forgive you?"

The prince's smile fell slightly, wondering if he'd overstepped some sort of boundary and that perhaps Eshe wouldn't take his silly jokes as lightly this time, "I… I _am_ sorry", he said once more, "I won't do it again…"

"Why do I not believe that?" Eshe asked rhetorically, crossing her arms as she arched an eyebrow.

Atem frowned, his lips forming that slight pout that Eshe always found utterly adorable, "I… I can make it up to you? I'll get you a fresh honey cake, no salt?"

Eshe hummed thoughtfully, "Maybe I will be inclined to forgive you if you bring me _two_ honey cakes - after lessons. Meet me in the gardens, and bring me my honey cakes", her mouth twitched upwards, almost betraying exactly how funny she now found the situation, and watched as Atem blinked a few times incredulously.

"Two honey cakes?" he bit his lip, "I mean, I'll try- if Shimon sees me running from the meal hall with _two_ honey cakes, he might tell me off…"

Eshe smiled sweetly, "Well, you'll have to be sneaky then, won't you?" with that, she pirouetted on one foot and continued on her way to the archives, her face scrunched up hilarity at the plan she had formed in her head - she'd need Mana's help.

Immediately following her class, Eshe rushed to where she knew Mana would just be ending her practical lesson on conjuring, making sure to dart past Atsu before he could insist on showing her his flower trick again for perhaps the hundredth time, and landed herself outside Mahad's classroom. She waited another few moments, and finally Mana left the room, her face lighting up happily as she caught sight of the princess.

"Hi Eshe!" the girl squeaked delightfully, "Where you looking for me?"

"Yes!" Eshe confirmed with a grin, "I need your help pulling a prank on Atem!"

Mana's eyebrow rose, and a mischievous twinkle became apparent in her eyes, "A prank on Atem? _Count me in_!"

And so, less than twenty minutes later, Eshe and Mana found themselves above the arch entrance to the gardens, both carrying large buckets of pond water, hidden from sight of the unsuspecting.

"Alright, I'll keep a lookout on the other side. When I give you the signal, we pour this water all over him, got it?" Eshe explained to the giggly girl before her; Mana was ecstatic to pull such a prank on the prince - serving up a little retribution in retaliation of Atem's pranks was something Mana loved to do, given how often she and the prince played practical jokes on each other. Atem had only recently began pulling such japes on Eshe, and she'd already had enough.

It was time to show the prince that Eshe could be just as scheming.

They waited at least fifteen more minutes before Eshe caught sight of Atem rushing through the courtyard, honey cakes in hand, towards the gardens, and she quickly alerted Mana as quietly as she could, lifting up the heavy buckets onto the edge of the arch, ready to tip over onto the prince's head.

The familiar starburst of tri-coloured hair became visible and Eshe quickly called out to the boy, "Atem! Up here!" which caused him to stumble slightly in confusion, as he halted and turned to look up, and that was when both girls tipped the cold, somewhat murky pond water right on top of him.

Atem yelled in surprise, jumping back a little too late, and the water soaked him completely, leaving him and his clothes drenched and shivering; his hair sagged under the weight of the water and the honey cakes were flooded out of his hands, dropping into the puddle that now covered the stone paving slabs.

Eshe and Mana laughed hysterically at the sopping wet prince, whose shoulders slumped in resignation; the boy looked up with the ultimate pout, appearing as quite the hilariously pathetic sight. The girls quickly made their way back down so they could glean a better look at their handiwork; Eshe smirked a euphoric grin, "That's what you get when you mess with my food, Prince of the Fishes."

Atem groaned, running a hand through his hair to slick it back out of his face, and gave Eshe a weary look as Mana continued to laugh until she cried; "Maybe I deserved that", the prince admitted, and then frowned at the soggy mess of the two honey cakes he had risked his head to sneak out of the meal hall, "I could've been caught. I really thought you wanted those honey cakes…"

Eshe's eyes flickered down to the puddle containing the running glazed sugar from the spongy treat and smiled smugly, "Revenge is sweeter than honey."

Atem's shiny lips quirked up to match her smile, "This isn't the end, princess."

* * *

"Can you teach me self-defense?"

Atem looked up in surprise at Eshe's unexpected request; the two of were sat quietly by the fountain in the courtyard, simply enjoying each other's silent company as the warmth of the sun engulfed them comfortably. Atem had been dipping his fingers in the cool fountain water when Eshe spoke up all of a sudden.

"You want me to teach you self-defense?" Atem asked curiously, a frown on his face, "Why?"

Eshe bit her lip. As a girl, she wasn't required to learn self-defense or any type of combat work - even if she _were_ to ask the elder members of the court if she could be allowed to attempt such lessons, they would probably just laugh and tell her she would be unable to wield a sword the same way a man could. It made her angry.

The princess was rarely a clumsy fool; it was true that she did not have the build of a warrior and that she was rather small and scrawny, but that didn't mean there was no point in trying to learn combative maneuvers. There was every bit a chance that she could be put into a situation where she needed to know how to defend herself - it wasn't something that _only_ men should be allowed to become proficient in.

"Because… well, why not?" Eshe murmured; the real reason was because she had grown anxious that someone around her had harmful intentions. She hadn't told anyone, because she was worried it was just her imagination getting the better of her, but for as long as she had known him, Rura had seemed a strange person, and it appeared to her that he was always watching her. It was not a basis for an accusation, so Eshe did not want to cause a stir where there was no need; it was entirely possible that Rura had perfectly normal, not-depraved intentions, and that he simply had always just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But Eshe didn't want to take any chances.

Atem's frown narrowed slightly, "Is something wrong? You don't need to learn self-defense, you're always protected-"

"But just _in case_ ", Eshe interrupted with a hint of displeasure in her voice, "I know girls aren't supposed to know this stuff… but what if something bad happened to me and nobody was around to protect me? Wouldn't it be good for me to know how to take care of myself?"

The prince seemed skeptical, "Why would no one be around to protect you- you're the princess." Eshe wasn't having it.

"And you're the future king of Egypt, why wouldn't anyone be around to protect _you_? But _you_ still get to learn!" She crossed her arms, awaiting Atem's further denial of her logical point of view.

Instead, the prince blinked a few times, his eyes drifting down as he contemplated Eshe's words, before he looked around over his shoulder to make sure nobody was nearby to listen in, "You have a point… girls aren't supposed to know how to fight, we could get in trouble… but we can try", the prince told her, a smile reaching his face, and Eshe squealed happily, throwing her arms around the boy in gratitude.

As the afternoon rolled on, Atem informed the quad guards that he was headed out to practise his swordplay; Eshe figured it wouldn't have been as easy as slipping through the main entrance to the private training ground with Atem's permission - the guards were under strict orders not to allow _anybody_ except Atem and his instructor through those doors… well, except for probably the pharaoh, of course.

So, Eshe had to enter the old-fashioned way. Over the precarious wall, across the roof and down onto the obliging bench that very helpfully allowed her to land on itself so she didn't have to fall all the way to the floor; peering down over the stone partition, she caught sight of Atem stood alone in the middle of the small quad, a training sword already in his hand. He looked up when he saw her and smiled, "You make that climb a lot, huh?"

Eshe reddened, "So you do know about that", she stated - she had an inkling that the prince was aware of how often she snuck into his _private_ swordplay lessons, but she didn't know for sure.

"I'm surprised my instructor doesn't see you. You're not that subtle", the prince smirked and Eshe rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, are you gonna teach me or not?" Eshe inquired, moving towards the steps leading down to the ground level, "I want to know how to kick butt."

Atem rose an eyebrow, "It won't be so easy to learn in just one lesson, you know…"

Eshe paused; the prince wasn't kidding, he'd had quite a few lessons before he'd graduated the title of "complete, utter, inexperienced fool" to a "relatively okay beginner", as the instructor had taunted him - but now Atem had reached the level of intermediate, and Eshe trusted that he was good enough to, at the very least, teach her the basics.

"Just teach me what you can", Eshe told him, and Atem shrugged slightly with a nod, motioning towards the rack of training swords.

Eshe hummed curiously at the variety of purposely blunt weapons, and raised her hand to pick up one of the bigger ones.

"That'll be too heavy for you", Atem pointed out, and Eshe pouted, "Go for the thin, shorter blade, the two-handed weapons are for experts." With a slight grumble, Eshe pulled out the smallest sword and yelped in surprised as she almost immediately dropped it on her foot; she gripped it properly with both hands despite the fact that it was clearly only a one-handed sword.

She knew without turning around that Atem had the biggest, most smug grin on his face - how was she going to swing the sword around when the smallest of all of them was still very heavy.

"Alright, I'm holding it. What now?" Eshe asked as she turned to face him, ignoring the annoying upwards curl of the corner of his lips; she heaved the sword up, attempting to hold it straight, but it wobbled in her unsure grip.

"Well, first of all, put that thing down", Atem snickered, "It might be blunt, but it could still do some damage, and you're holding it _all_ wrong", he amplified his words with a deft twirl of his own sword, having mastered perfectly how to spin it in his hand.

Eshe's eyes widened briefly - it always looked extraordinary to see Atem swinging a sword around with precision; he had grown dexterous and nimble the more his lessons had gone on, and the princess could only wish to swing her weapon as proficiently as him.

"Show me how", the princess spoke, and Atem stepped towards her, coming to her side; he placed his own sword down and reached for her hands, bringing a blush to her face as he repositioned her grip on the hilt of the weapon.

"You just hold it like this, so the weight of the sword is more balanced in your hands", he told her, pressing his own fingers over hers; with a charming smile he stepped back only an inch, and Eshe realised, with the way he had shown her to hold it, the weight of the sword did not seem to impossible to wield now.

Her face radiated heat from the closeness of her crush, and the way his gaze lingered on her just a little too long left her more than a little flustered.

* * *

A few months before Eshe's fourteenth birthday, there was a scheduled visit from the royal family of the bordering country, Nubia. It was nothing too important, just a visitation to discuss some business propositions regarding imported goods, however, the prince and princess were instructed to be on their best behaviour as to make a good impression and entertain the company of the Nubian king's son, who was about their age. Eshe was excited to meet the Nubian prince; she had never met any royals other than Atem and his father, and she was always open to making new friends, but given the command for her to behave properly, she was a little nervous about meeting the Nubian king, deciding that if she had to interact with the man, she could smile politely and remember her manners.

The day the Nubians came, she was required to wait with Atem in the throne room, she stood, careful not to fidget out of reflex, beside the prince to the left of the throne where the pharaoh sat. When the royal Nubian family entered, Eshe's lips parted in surprise at their exalted appearances; the first thing she noticed was how much darker their skin was in comparison to her own, while she was moderately tanned, the Nubians had a rich, dark brown - almost black - skin colour that contrasted brilliantly with their white and gold clothing. Eshe's eyes went to the Nubian prince to take in his appearance; he was quite a bit taller than her and his black hair was drawn into many thin braids in perfect rows across his scalp. His eyelids were dusted with golden eyeshadow and he wore many thin, golden bracelets on both his wrists; he smiled up at her with a charming beam.

Eshe returned the smile; beside her, Atem shifted almost imperceptibly, his face unusually neutral.

The princess quickly learned the Nubian prince's name, Abioye, and soon after the introductions were completed, everybody withdrew to the meal hall for a substantial lunch, given the Nubians had been travelling for a long while to reach the palace, and must've been starved.

Atem was far quieter than usual; he spoke stiffly and answered Abioye's questions with swift, curt responses, but apart from that, he kept his mouth shut. It saddened Eshe that Atem did not speak to her with the sweet enthusiasm that typically inhabited his voice, nor did he try to coax giggles from her with the silly jokes he sometimes told, but she could only assume that it was partially to do with the way Shimon had warned him to conduct himself appropriately.

Prince Abioye took an evident interest in Eshe, asking about her family and why she resided in the pharaoh's palace as opposed to her own; she answered his questions, of course, with a bright smile and a kind resonance.

After lunch, the pharaoh addressed Eshe with a smile, "Eshe, why don't you show Prince Abioye around the palace?"

Eshe saw Atem look up sharply at his father, the boy's eyes narrowed in displeasure, but the princess smiled and agreed to be the Nubian prince's guide, figuring there were many places off the top of her head that she would love to show a new friend.

The pharaoh then turned to his son, "Atem, you will join the king and I for our business discussions, it would be advantageous for you to sit in on these proposals."

Atem's eyes widened and his mouth fell open momentarily as if he wanted to argue, before he snapped his jaw shut and nodded rigidly, "Yes, father", he spoke, and Eshe wasn't going to pretend she didn't see Atem watching them irately as she left the meal hall with Abioye in tow.

"So, um, what would you like to see?" Eshe inquired to the Nubian prince once they'd left the room; he regarded her with a prepossessing smile and blinked his pretty brown eyes.

"What's your favourite place?"

That was an easy question; Eshe took Abioye to the gardens, where she spent so much time that she'd know if one blade of grass was amiss, and the two sat in her dearest spot beside the pond and below the shade of the tree.

Abioye sat cross legged with his back against the tree trunk, looking around the wide floral area with admiration and respect, "This is a very well-kept garden", the boy remarked and Eshe nodded with a bright smile.

"The servants cultivate and plant seeds often; the pharaoh is particularly proud of his maintained gardens. I've been here since I was five, and it's always been as beautiful as it is today…" Eshe trailed off as she looked around the flourishing surroundings.

"Beautiful like you", the Nubian prince responded with a coy smile, and Eshe looked back to him, her eyes growing wide and her cheeks heating up with the intensity of the sun.

"W-what?" Eshe's squeaky voice betrayed her, allowing anyone to catch how flustered the remark had made her, and the prince laughed at her incredulity. The compliment left her bashful and shy, and she subconsciously pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, looking anywhere but Abioye's face, "I… um… I'm not… that beautiful…" She couldn't compare her face to the glorious, viridescent gardens; she thought of herself as pretty - especially when she was dressed up in her best dresses, her face peppered with makeup as she adorned her shiniest jewellery, sure, but not _beautiful_. Beautiful was a word reserved for things that took one's breath away. Like the garden they sat in… like her mother… _like Atem._

"Oh, but you _are_ beautiful", Abioye told her, shifting slightly to sit closer to her, "Everything about you is perfect, your hair, your eyes, your skin, your shape- simply gorgeous!"

With a few disbelieving blinks, Eshe's jaw fell open and her mouth bobbed like a fish, unable to think of an appropriate response to the praise, "Uh- um, Abioye, I-"

"Please, call me Abi", he insisted, and Eshe swallowed at his seemingly complacent smile.

"Um, Abi… your compliments are most kind", she thanked him for his words, even though she didn't believe the sincerity behind them. Something was up; even if he did find her beautiful, she knew for a fact that she wasn't perfect. _Nobody_ was perfect, although Atem certainly came close, but quite a few flaws came to mind when she pictured her own body.

Abi continued to smile at her with what appeared to be a knowing smile that set Eshe's teeth on edge - somehow, she felt this boy had ulterior motives.

"Eshe", Abi spoke softly, and Eshe wasn't sure she liked the way her name sounded coming from his mouth in that tone, "While I was travelling here with my father, I was informed that you were living at the palace. I was interested in meeting you, but after I saw you in the throne room earlier today, I knew immediately that I wanted you to be my wife."

For a moment, his words did not register.

"... _What!?_ " the volume with which Eshe squealed caused the birds nesting above to hastily take flight as they were left startled; the princess was too shocked to feel bad about frightening them.

" _Y- you… what?_ " Eshe gasped, scrambling to her feet, unable to comprehend just what she had just heard; her obvious alarm didn't seem to deter Abi, and he gracefully lifted himself up to stand before her, and took her rigid hands in his.

"It's true- I knew, from the moment I saw you. I'm in love with you, Eshe!"

Abi was far too close for comfort, but Eshe could barely move or speak. She shook her head indiscernibly; Eshe did not believe in _love at first sight_. She had always maintained the idea that in order to fall in love with someone, you had to get to know them - you don't fall in love with the way someone looks, you fall in love with who they are. And Eshe did not know what kind of person Abioye was, and she knew that _he_ didn't know what kind of person _she_ was.

Love was something that happened slowly, not at once, and if there was one thing Eshe knew for certain, it was that she did _not_ want to marry Abioye, no matter how charismatic he appeared.

Before she could open her mouth to deny his fervent request - _was he even asking?_ \- for marriage, movement across the garden entrance caught her eye, and she turned stiffly to find Atem standing with unshakeable tension within the archway, staring at them with disconcerting alarm.

"Ahh, Prince Atem!" Abioye exclaimed cheerfully, "The negotiations went well, I take it?" he asked, referring to the business proposal between their fathers. Atem walked mechanically towards them, his fists clenched at his sides.

"They went perfectly fine. The pharaoh has accepted your father's proposal", Atem's voice was tight, a clear hint of underlying anger making itself known, and yet Abioye either ignored it or genuinely didn't notice it.

"That's wonderful!" Abioye exclaimed with a flawless grin.

Eshe frowned at Atem's stony behaviour; something had upset him, but she wasn't entirely sure what.

"Your father wishes to speak with you, you should probably go", Atem's voice was worryingly low, his pinpoint glare on the oblivious boy whose hands were still grasping Eshe's wrists with a firm grip. Eshe wished he would hurry up and release her.

Abioye nodded, "Yes, he probably wishes to relay the discussions with me", he assumed, before turning back to Eshe, "I'll give you some time to ponder my proposal", he added with a wink, and brought Eshe's hand up to kiss her knuckles.

If looks could kill, Atem would have murdered the Nubian prince right then and there, and kickstarted a war in the process.

Eshe cleared her throat as Abioye inclined his head by way of saying goodbye, before giving Atem a wry smile; he walked elegantly away, and the moment he was through the archway and out of earshot, Atem turned his vexed stare on Eshe.

"Why did you bring him here!?" Atem inquired forcefully, bringing a frown to Eshe's face.

She blinked and answered simply, "He asked me to bring him to my favourite place."

Atem's eyebrows arched down and his face scrunched up slightly, "But this is _our_ place!" There was a hint of something in his voice that led Eshe to believe he felt hurt.

Shaking her head slightly, Eshe spoke, "What are you talking about?"

Atem inhaled sharply, putting a clamp down on his emotions, "What _proposal_ was he talking about?" the prince demanded to know, ignoring Eshe's confused inquiry.

Eshe bit her lip, growing agitated by his terrible mood, "It's nothing", she replied, shrugging her shoulders softly, but Atem did not seem satisfied.

The prince grabbed her upper arms with an imploring look on his face, " _Tell me_ , Eshe!" The princess bristled as her friend's grip grew just a little too tight, and she quickly squirmed out of his grasp, pushing him away.

"Ugh, he asked me to marry him, alright!?" Eshe snapped, rubbing her arms, and proceeded to frown as Atem's eyes widened dramatically.

"He _what!?_ " Eshe hugged herself, put off by Atem's loud and fierce reaction, and drew back as Atem eyed her through gritted teeth, a lace of suspicion in his voice, "You said _no_ , right? You better have told him _no_!"

Eshe's mouth fell open at the boy's hostility, hardly believing how controlling he sounded; of course she wasn't going to marry the Nubian prince, but if for some otherworldly reason she wanted to, she was completely free to make that decision.

"Stop shouting, Atem", Eshe told her friend gently, hoping to calm him down so she could figure out why he was in such a temper; what she didn't expect was to see Atem's eyes grow glossy and for him to blink rapidly in order to hide what appeared to be growing tears.

"Sorry", he murmured, his moist eyes glinting in the light, "Please tell me you said no", Atem spoke softly, swallowing heavily as he pushed back the upset in his voice.

"I didn't say anything yet", Eshe responded, and quickly added before Atem could grow irritable, "I'm going to say no. Of course I'm not going to marry him."

The prince visibly relaxed, subduing the tears in his eyes until the only trace of his fluctuated emotion was the peppering of red that remained on his cheeks; he looked downtrodden and remorseful at having let his feelings get the better of him, "I'm sorry for shouting…"

"What's got you so sad?" Eshe asked, stepping forward to lay a soothing hand on his arm; Eshe knew the prince was prone to mood swings at his current age - she was too, she had learnt in one of her classes that it was perfectly normal for young teenagers to experience seemingly random emotional outbursts, but she could tell, without a doubt, that there was a root problem for Atem's distress.

The prince sniffed, and then admitted, "I don't want him to take you away from me."

Eshe's pulse sped up at his words; the prince's admission far more effective at having a positive impact on her than Abioye's flagrant and ridiculously over-the-top compliments ever did.

So that was why Atem was panicked and upset; if Eshe was to accept Abioye's proposal, she would leave the palace to live with the Nubians, and would probably only ever see Atem on occasion.

Luckily, that wasn't going to happen. Ever. Not if Eshe could help it.

"I'm not going to leave you", Eshe reassured him, pulling the boy in for a comforting hug, and he quickly returned it. They held each other for a while, and Eshe couldn't help but have dreamy thoughts about how they fit together so faultlessly, and how upsetting it was that Atem did not harbour the same feelings she did for him. If only he knew.

When they pulled away, Atem smiled tenderly, his eyes flicking between hers while he nibbled subtly on the inside of his cheek; he looked very much like he had something he wanted to say, but he just couldn't push the words out of his mouth.

"Is there something on your mind?" Eshe asked softly, and Atem smiled sadly, shaking his head.

"A few days ago, Priest Seto told me that I have to choose a wife by my fifteenth birthday…" he murmured, quiet and downtrodden, and Eshe's face fell slightly. That was just under a year away.

"Oh", was all she could say, unsure why the prince wanted to tell her this. It hurt her, the thought of Atem being wed to someone that wasn't her, but it was clear that the prince did not want to marry her - surely if he did, then he would've asked by this point.

Atem's droll smile dropped very quickly, and his eyes bore into the ground at his feet. He began to fidget.

"Uh, well, anyway, I should… go back…" the prince murmured, and Eshe rose a confused eyebrow; there was no reason that he needed to leave the garden or head back to the meal hall, especially since the negotiations were over with.

As if reading her mind, Atem sheepishly responded, "The negotiations aren't finished yet…"

Eshe blinked, "But… you said- why did your father let you leave the meeting early then?"

Biting his lip, Atem shrugged his shoulders slightly, "I told him I had to, uh… go to the toilet."

Eshe released a snicker, "He's probably wondering where you are, you know… you might get in trouble", and then she paused, "Also, you told Abioye to go back there so they're going to know for sure that you didn't need to go to the toilet."

Atem laughed, scratching his head, "Yeah, I really didn't think that through", the boy smiled for a moment longer before his lips evened out and he sighed, "Uh, wish me luck… I'll see you later?"

Eshe nodded, tilting her head at the well-hidden discomfort in his eyes that she still managed to pick up on; whatever it was, she could ask him about it that evening - if Shimon and his father hadn't punished him for running away from an important meeting, that is.

* * *

Later than evening, Dalila caught Eshe sighing wistfully at her balcony, watching the smooth Nile current run in the distance; it was clear to the princess that her friend knew something was troubling her, as made clear by the way Dalila quietly joined her and looked out across the sands bathing in dusk.

"I know that look", the sandy-haired girl spoke, an eloquent look on her face, "yearning stare, check. Longing sigh, check. Ridiculously pouty lips, double check. You're not still pining over Atem, are you?" her tone was playful and not meant to be taken in a mocking way.

Eshe snorted slightly, "He has to get married when he's fifteen. I'm just…" she trailed off and sighed again, causing Dalila to raise an eyebrow, "I want him to be happy, but I want him to be mine too."

Dalila's lip curled into a vaguely disgruntled expression and Eshe rolled her eyes; she always seemed to disapprove of how lovesick the princess was for the boy.

"Honestly, I don't know why you're so stuck on him. Boys are all the same, they're icky and they're only there to annoy you", Dalila spoke with a smirk.

Eshe giggled, "Oh? What do you suggest I do then?"

Dalila shrugged and idly spoke, "Marry a girl instead?"

The princess through her head back in laughter as Dalila smiled and rubbed her neck; it didn't matter what kind of mood Eshe was in, Dalila never failed to cheer her up with wonderful her sense of humour, "You always know what to say to make me laugh", the princess snickered.

They fell into a short silence, looking out over the plains once more, before Eshe spoke, "The Nubian prince asked me to marry him earlier."

"Ew", was Dalila's immediate response, her eyes wide and incredulous, serving to send Eshe into another bout of giggles, "Who asks for someone's hand in marriage five minutes after meeting them?"

"That's what I thought", Eshe responded.

"See? I told you boys are all gross." Dalila seemed self-satisfied with her statement, and Eshe let out an amused huff; the princess didn't share her friend's sentiment, she felt that Atem was far from gross.

"I have an idea", Dalila spoke up suddenly, and Eshe raised a curious eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"I know how to cheer you up", the other girl spoke, before stepping away from the balcony. Eshe frowned, looking back as Dalila walked around the opposite side of the flickering fire that was dancing in the brazier. Wordlessly, the green-eyed girl raised her hands to interlock in an odd shape, and Eshe blinked in a moment of perplexity before she caught sight of the shadow Dalila's hands cast on the stone wall behind her.

A shadow-puppet shaped like a bird hopped about animatedly in time with Dalila's fingers, and Eshe felt herself grin widely. "That is amazing", the princess giggled, "Can you teach me how to do that?"

Dalila smiled in response, nodding her head, but the two girls were interrupted by a figure walking out onto the balcony; Eshe gasped softly as Atem appeared from inside the room, looking particularly dazzling in the firelight.

"Oh- I'm sorry, I didn't realise…" Atem trailed off, blinking his eyes at Dalila, "...that someone else was here…"

A brief flicker of panic reached Dalila's eyes as she quickly lowered her hands and bowed her head toward the prince, "My prince", she acknowledged.

Eshe looked between the two, realising this was actually the first time they had met, "Atem, this is my friend, Dalila", the princess spoke up, motioning her hand to the girl.

"Oh", Atem spoke, watching Dalila for a long, drawn-out second, before forcing a smile to his face, "Um, it's nice to meet you, Dalila."

Dalila cleared her throat, "The pleasure is all mine, my prince", she said, a little too quickly, her head still bowed respectfully; Eshe could tell the girl was uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry to dismiss you but I need to talk to Eshe, uh, _alone_ ", Atem continued, and Eshe noticed Dalila's jaw tighten before she too forced a smile.

"Of course, my prince", she nodded her head, before turning to Eshe, "I will probably see you tomorrow, princess."

"See you tomorrow", Eshe responded with a nod and an apologetic smile; it was far too clear to the princess just how much Dalila wanted to protest the dismissal, but she absolutely knew better than to argue with the prince.

Dalila kept her gaze down as she made her way back through the princess's room and out of the door, leaving Atem and Eshe alone.

After a few minutes of silence, Eshe broke the peace, "Did you get in trouble for what happened earlier?"

Atem huffed in amusement, "Surprisingly, no… it was weird, they didn't even act like anything was amiss, despite the fact that Abioye was sitting right there. They just continued the discussion…"

Eshe's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Really? Huh. That _is_ weird", no explanation came to her mind for why Atem had gotten off the hook so easily, especially given Shimon prior warning to behave. "What did you want to talk with me about?"

Atem seemed anxious all of a sudden, clasping his hands behind his back as he shifted his weight on his feet back and forth a few times, "There's something I need to tell you."

Eshe blinked, her heart speeding a little in apprehension at Atem's troubled tone, and her mind began reeling at once, wondering about all the terrible things that could be about to come out of his mouth.

"What is it?" Eshe whispered nervously, and Atem's mouth opened briefly before clamping shut, his eyes twitching before he swiftly spun around, facing away from her; Eshe frowned in confusion.

"Atem?" she stepped forward and grabbed his wrist, trying to pull him back to face her, "What's wrong? Please just say it, you're worrying me-"

"I like you."

A hush fell over the occupants of the balcony, all the distant background noises seem to dull to a very low muffle and the only noise that readily broke the silence was the sharp crackling of the fire beside them. Atem refused to meet Eshe's eyes, his face partially turned away, his gaze lowered in what appeared to be trepidation; he was stock still, holding his breath in anticipation of Eshe's response.

Eshe blinked once, twice, and a third time, "Huh? Well yeah, of course you do- we're friends. I like you too", the girl replied, and Atem's gaze snapped back to her with incredulity.

"No, Eshe- I- I mean, I _like_ like you…"

His unblinking stare rested on Eshe's face as the words left his lips, and as his admission sunk in, Eshe's jaw dropped open, which must've made a far from princessly sight.

Atem liked her. As in, _he liked her_. His eyes were truthful and timid, and Eshe's heart felt as though it was going to pump out of her chest.

"Eshe, please say something", Atem murmured meekly.

"You… _like_ me?" Eshe squeaked, " _You like me!?"_

Atem's face looked torn and he began to stutter and dig his way out of the hole he thought he had sunken into, "I, um- I mean, well- I, uh-"

The tips of his ears were bright red.

"I like you too", Eshe quickly admitted, and Atem shut up immediately, his eyes growing wide; he stared wordlessly at her for another moment before he began to speak very quickly.

"You- you like me too? Do- do you mean- because I like you, a lot, and I need to know if you like me as much as I like you, because I-", he looked as though he was falling apart, struggling to keep any semblance of composure he still retained, and then, with a sharply raised voice, he exclaimed, "I _hate_ awkward silences!"

Eshe stared at him in confusion, unable to do anything but blink, because _what the hell did that have to do with anything?_

Atem swallowed, his face showing utter distress before he continued to ramble, "I hate awkward silences so much. I can't stand being in the presence of someone and not knowing what to say! It drives me crazy and I _hate_ it! ...But when I'm with you, just sitting with you, by the pond or next to the fountain, I- it's like we don't have to say anything for it to feel comfortable. The silence is just… natural. That's got to mean something, right?"

Eshe felt a smile tugging at her lips at the speed with which Atem spoke, she could hardly understand half the words coming out of his mouth but something in her head made her feel excited and elated.

"I like being with you… because I don't have to put on an act or anything. I don't have to pretend like I know what I'm doing, I don't have to be what people expect me to be- I can just… just be me", he paused to breath, his eyes shimmering with overflowing emotion; the sight caused Eshe's eyes to sting and well up, but Atem didn't stop talking, "And earlier today, I- I realised that I have to stop being an idiot, because if you had accepted Abioye's marriage proposal, that would've been it- I would've lost you, because I was too much of a coward to admit how I felt about you- but I… I thought… I thought you didn't like me like that… I thought you only liked me as a friend. Eshe, are you telling me that you feel the same way about me? That you… love me?"

Eshe's heart was in her throat as she tried to hold back tears; the release of emotion that came from Atem's confession left her reeling and buzzing. She licked her lips, blinking back the tears in her eyes, but Atem spoke again before she could respond.

"Because I love you", Atem whispered, his eyes growing wetter by the second. Eshe couldn't hold the tears back anymore; they flooded down her face relentlessly.

" _I love you too_ ", the princess breathed, and pushed herself onto her tiptoes to brush their lips together.

And that was that.

After a few days of basking in the high that came from her and Atem's mutual confession of love, Eshe was stopped as she walked through the hallway towards the archive, her ridiculously gleeful and jubilant smile falling briefly as Priest Seto halted in front of her.

Eshe looked up curiously at the blue-eyed man, "Hello Seto", she greeted politely, and the priest smirked.

"I see you and the prince have finally declared your feelings for one another", he spoke with a hint of smugness in his voice, "Then my plan worked."

The princess blinked, eyes widening slightly, "Plan? What plan?"

Seto chuckled, his blue eyes narrowingly knowingly on the girl, "Prince Abioye was never required to join his father on the visit to the palace; but I approached the pharaoh with an idea to send an invite for him", he reached up to push a strand of his own hair back into place neatly, "Prince Abioye was more than happy to assist when I requested for him to make Atem jealous- I knew there was no other way to push him to admit his feelings, and it is vital that he soon finds a bride", the priest actually laughed at the disbelief on her face, "I suppose I should schedule the wedding, no?"

Without waiting for a response, Priest Seto stepped around her and continued on his way, a complacent smirk permanently set on his face.

* * *

In the months that followed, Eshe found that even after her and Atem confessed their love for one another, it didn't really change things much, except for the fact that they were a lot more affectionate with each other when they were alone. Every time they sat together below the tree in the garden, they inevitably found themselves shifting closer until they were touching, along with the shy kisses they shared when nobody else was around.

Their first kiss following the revelation of how they felt for each other hadn't gone entirely as Eshe had pictured; she had gotten a little ahead of herself and brought their faces together a bit too quickly, resulting in a moment of awkward teeth-clacking. In her embarrassment, her cheeks had flooded red and heated up to ridiculously high temperatures, and Atem had simply burst out laughing in a mixture of amusement and euphoria from the heat of the moment.

It had quickly been remedied with a few less frenzied kisses, and a few more chaste, careful pecks on the lips, and of course, since that day, they had practised more often than not in the privacy of the garden of either or their rooms, away from prying eyes.

Eshe remembered fondly the moments that stood out after the confession; almost immediately, Atem had organised for them to be allowed an evening alone by the Nile, complete with food and wine to consume while they sat in each other's arms and observed the gorgeous sunset. It was a breathtaking sight, and with the feeling of Atem's secure arms around her and his pleasant scent filling her nostrils, she knew it would be a hard date to beat.

Another moment that drifted through Eshe's mind from time to time was the day she had walked into the gardens to meet with Atem, and promptly found him panicking as he tried hastily to stamp out a fire while Mana watched on with her hands clamped over her mouth. It had been a very confusing thing to walk in on, and if it wasn't for Eshe's quick thinking, " _Kick it into the pond!_ ", there may have been disastrous consequences for the beautiful garden. It turned out that Atem had planned to present Eshe with a professionally assembled bouquet of flowers, and then Mana had claimed she could change the roses to be multicoloured. Then she had set them on fire.

It was a rather amusing moment in retrospect.

Atem had not been happy.

Fortunately, Mana had managed to escape with all her limbs in place, and Eshe had successfully calmed the prince down, assuring him that she wholeheartedly appreciated his thoughtfulness, and that that was enough - she didn't _need_ the flowers to know how much he loved her. The fact that he had thought to get them in the first place filled Eshe with adoration.

Instead, they had asked a servant to retrieve a bowl of deseeded dates for them to snack on, and Eshe had pulled Atem back to lie with his head in her lap while she fed them to him. It hadn't taken long for her to grow mischievous, and she'd plucked up a date and held it against his lips, teasing him with the sticky, sweet glaze - then, when he'd opened his mouth to bite it, she had pulled it away and popped it into her own mouth with a smirk, finding amusement as the boy pouted at her, licking his lips free of the stickiness.

On Eshe's fifteenth birthday, Atem had gifted her with a pet crow, which she had quickly named after her mother, Sabiya. She was blown away by Atem's choice in gift, and swiftly peppered kisses all over his face when they had a moment to themselves, a sweet show of affection that left the prince extremely giddy.

Just a few months later, Atem had presented Eshe with one of the most alluring gifts he had ever given her, a gold necklace with a lapis carving of her favourite bird, a present that symbolised his love and loyalty to her; when he had fastened the pendant around her neck, the piece of jewellery had brought with it a sense of security and protection, and a warmth that left her vibrating with joy and gratification.

It was his engagement gift to her; they were to be wed within the month.

On the day of the wedding, the kingdom was in high spirits and Eshe had awoken in her bed, a complete nervous wreck, her stomach filled with butterflies. She had been dressed by the maids in perhaps the most expensive gown she had ever worn, fine cotton inlaid with gold and jewels, pinned in all the right places to accentuate her steadily developing curves. Her hair had braided beautifully, and she had insisted on wearing the jade bird pin that Atem had bought her from the market many years prior. Last, but certainly not least, she adorned the necklace Atem had had crafted especially for her; the maids told her she looked more beautiful than ever, and the necklace at her breast thrummed with pleasant tingles.

"Oh, you'll take his breath away, princess", the younger of the two maids cried happily, delighted by their handiwork, "he'll be stunned tonight when the two of you consummate the marriage!"

Eshe swallowed heavily, her nerves buzzed uncomfortably in a way that not even the necklace could soothe, "Oh… yes, that…"

The other maid, who was approaching her thirties, smiled knowingly and sympathetically, "You need not fret, princess. I am sure your first time will be absolutely fine."

Eshe's face grew red, she wished the conversation would go anywhere but there.

"Oh!" the younger maid exclaimed suddenly, "We should teach you how to seduce him!"

" _What!?_ " Eshe squeaked as the older maid almost cried with laughter.

The wedding was a most dazzling affair, filled with animated dancers and wonderful music; it was surely one of the fanciest and most expensive royal weddings the world had ever seen, with guests attending from far away lands to watch the future pharaoh wed his beloved.

There was more food than Eshe knew what to do with, but by far, the highlight of her day was seeing Atem dressed in exalted, fine clothes and the prettiest jewels - the malachite bracelet she had gifted him, included - he was truly a sight to behold, so much so that she had found herself lightheaded as she gazed upon him.

Despite the attendance of everybody in the palace, Eshe did not see Dalila that day, she wondered briefly where her friend might've been, but her thoughts of the girl were brushed away briskly when it was announced that Eshe and the prince were to become ceremonially joined as officially husband and wife.

Eshe could hardly remember a happier time.

When the celebrations were said and done, and the night grew dark, Eshe returned with Atem to their new, shared chambers; they sat shyly on the bed, looking over each other as the significance of the day slowly sunk in.

Eshe was nervous, and by the slight twitch of Atem's soft smile, he too was skittish; they both knew what came next and what was required of them, but given they were both timid, awkward teenagers, well, things went a little slowly and they otherwise might have.

Atem initiated the coupling, beginning the night off with soothing, impassioned kisses that skilfully helped Eshe to relax and become undone; eventually, the both of them became confident enough to push further and begin to undress. While completely inexperienced, the prince and princess had been educated on the very topic they were about to explode; it might not have been the most passionate encounter of all time, but it was loving and gentle and adventurous.

 _It was good._

* * *

It was no secret that Atem was talented in many areas; by his sixteenth birthday, he had become an expert swordsman, he excelled in many of his lessons and his father had grown impressed during important meetings in which Atem offered insight and ideas that were far beyond his years. On top of that, he was a master of games and practical jokes, and, of course, horse-riding.

Eshe tapped her heels against her horse's side, "Faster, Meri!" she cried, her hands gripping the horse's mane, "We can't let Atem win _again!_ " The horse whinnied in response, speeding its gait to a fast gallop; Eshe heard Atem laugh distantly over the harsh noise of hoofs hitting the ground.

"It's no use, Eshe! My horse is the fastest in the kingdom!" her husband called back from far ahead as he approached their makeshift finish line. Eshe let out a grunt, drawing her lips into a pout as Atem won first place, his horse - a black stallion named Onyx, whinnied in victory when he brought it to a stop.

Eshe slowed her horse, bringing it to a light canter and eventually to a slow trot beside Atem and Onyx, she sighed, "Looks like you win again - why am I not surprised?" her eyes flickered briefly to her horse, Meri, one of the more slower mares in the kingdom.

Atem grinned, "I'm proud of you, Eshe, your horse-riding prowess is steadily improving. You did brilliantly", he told her, and Eshe blushed at the sincere praise from her husband, aka, the best horse-rider in all Egypt.

Eshe couldn't help but muse over the way Atem had matured over the years; she recalled effortlessly the days they would play hide and seek together, and how he always taunted her and called her a ' _big loser_ ' every time he prevailed over her - it was all in good fun, but Eshe truly appreciated the way his approach to encouragement came along.

She loved him so much, and her love grew more and more by the day.

* * *

Some time after Atem turned sixteen, his father fell ill and passed away.

Eshe remembered, very clearly, the way she held her husband on the night of the pharaoh's passing, and told Atem that it was okay for him to cry in the privacy of their quarters, and he did.

* * *

The night before Atem's coronation, he was consumed with nerves; continually pacing across the balcony, refusing to stand still or come to bed per Eshe's request. His restless movements had begun to irritate her, and after a solid half hour of the prince voicing his irrational concerns, Eshe slipped out of bed, made her way to the balcony, and enveloped her husband in a tight embrace.

"Stop worrying. It'll be fine", she assured him, brushing her lips against his neck softly; she felt him sigh and wind his arms around her, strong and protective. His chest shuddered with every breath, practically transmitting his stress to the world.

"There's this feeling in my stomach that I can't shake…" he murmured quietly against Eshe's hair.

"I'm not surprised… you become the Pharaoh of Egypt tomorrow", the princess chuckled and Atem pulled out of the embrace, leaning down to kiss the corner of Eshe's mouth.

"And you become Queen", he told her, his voice deep and pleasant in a way that sent chills down Eshe's spine.

Eshe kissed her husband, slow and passionately, and whispered soothing words against his mouth; she calmed his nerves and pacified the butterflies in his stomach, "Watch the stars, Atem", she told him gently.

He did as she told him, raising his gaze the the clear sky above, admiring the twinkling specks as Eshe's arms circled him from behind.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Eshe spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"They cannot compare to your beauty", Atem responded without hesitation, and Eshe shook her head, smiling as she shoved her face into his shoulder. Truly, her husband was the most romantic dork she'd ever known.

* * *

Eshe could not bring to words how proud she was of Atem; he had grown confident since the early days of his youth, he was more assured in his movements, a fact which was evident from the way he held himself. When he sat on the throne on the day of his coronation, he addressed his subjects with powerful confidence; the Millennium Puzzle was placed over his head as he was crowned the new Pharaoh.

The sight of her husband in such a position of unmatched power left a kindling fire inside her and Eshe couldn't help but think that _perhaps_ she and her husband could have a little celebration of their own later that night.

It was only partway into the day when Atem's fears from the previous night came true; an intruder broke his way into the palace, malicious and full of contempt. Bakura summoned forth an incredible beast named _Diabound_ using the DiaDhank he had stolen from Aknamkanon's resting place.

Rage pumped through Eshe's veins at the nerve of the white-haired man before her; she wanted to see the thief brought to justice, but unfortunately she was left frozen in place by the horrific sight that was the petrifying monster. Her legs wobbled as cries of terror erupted all around her, but the thing that frightened her most of all was the danger Atem was in.

The pharaoh tore his eyes from the monster inhabiting the throne room, his fearful gaze settling on Eshe, whose legs could not find the courage to move. Within moments, before the monster could cause any sort of harm, Asim darted forwards and pulled Eshe from the fray, guiding her quickly to safety.

With the queen out of immediate danger, Atem stood imposingly, his furious gaze on the white-haired intruder; and what happened next left Eshe almost completely stupefied. The pharaoh raised his arm, his own DiaDhank glowing with power, and with the utmost confidence, he summoned forth and Egyptian God.

 _Obelisk, the Tormentor_ made quick work of the beast at Bakura's command, winning the battle, but not the war; in a malicious and daunting display, Bakura fled with the promise that he would return, and when he did, he would bring a power far more fierce than _Diabound_.

* * *

The kingdom was in uproar, scared citizens requesting audiences with the pharaoh to help quell their fears; Eshe sat with Dalila, deep within the archives as she fretted over the current situation. Atem had asked her not to leave the confines of the palace walls, and that meant she could not visit the gardens as she usually did; she respected her husband's wishes, knowing that he only wanted her to be safe.

"I'm terrified, Dalila, I don't know what to do", Eshe whispered, pressing her hands to her face in distress, "I'm frightened… I can't imagine how Atem feels right now."

Dalila rubbed a hand soothingly over her back, her face contorted into a frown, "I'm sure everything will be fine, Eshe…"

Eshe needed a distraction, something to keep her mind from wandering too far into the ' _what terrible things could happen_ ' area of her brain, and further towards a more hopeful outcome; Dalila breathed a sigh, squeezing the queen's shoulder comfortingly.

"My stupid brother has his final practical exam coming up soon, in just a few days, actually. He hasn't shut up about it for the past week", Dalila spoke, "If he passes, he becomes a senior magician, although that girl, Mana, has already been picked to be Mahad's successor."

Eshe sniffed, looking up at Dalila curiously, "That's great", she smiled weakly, "I bet he's really excited about it."

"You have no idea", Dalila snorted, "He's excited to graduate and be on-par with Priest Mahad, I think", the girl spoke, before shrugging her shoulders slightly, "I… don't know if he's going to pass."

Eshe frowned, her eyebrows twitching in surprise at Dalila's admission, "What? Why?"

Dalila hesitated, glancing up to look around the place to make sure nobody was listening in, "He… just hasn't got the right mindset to be a magician. I heard Mahad speaking with that jerk, Rura, the other day- I know I shouldn't have been listening in, but, I just happened to be passing by his classroom, and he was talking pretty loud… Mahad is concerned about Atsu's goals. He said he's obsessive to the point that it's worrying", her eyes narrowed, "I'd say that Rura has been putting thoughts in Mahad's head, but I can kind of see where he's coming from."

Eshe blinked a few times, her thoughts rolling back to the many, _many_ times Atsu had approached her in the past to try and perfect his flower-changing trick. Even to this day, the boy had never gotten the hang of it; it made her sad to think that his fixation on that specific spell made him undesirable as an apprentice.

"Maybe I could talk to Mahad about it", Eshe murmured softly, "I think Atsu deserves a chance. Maybe if he figures out that spell, that'll be the last of this weird compulsion he has for it?"

Dalila shrugged, a heavy frown on her face, "Perhaps."

* * *

Eshe grasped the balcony railing with a white-knuckled grip, her eyes passing over the destruction below; the city was under attack, waves of evil monsters causing terror among the innocents, and all Eshe could do was just sit around under her husband's orders, watching from the safety of her room while it all took place.

It had been three days since the fiend, Bakura, had waltzed into the Pharaoh's coronation with ill intentions, and now the fierce foe had brought ruination to the poor citizens of Egypt; Atem was with his advisors, working on a plan to put the thief king's tyranny to and end. Eshe was afraid, she drew a heavy breath in and tried to remain strong.

Mahad was dead. He'd given his life to save the pharaoh; Eshe clenched her hands as her jaw tightened. Mahad was her friend, he was a good man- and now he was dead. Immediately following Mahad's passing, she had been informed that Atem had then fallen into a ravine, and that they were doing everything they could to find him. She had been distraught, tears flooding down her face at the thought that her husband had been severely injured, or worse.

When news came about twelve hours later that the pharaoh had been located, Eshe was swamped with relief; Mana had been on the scene fairly quickly and healed him up as well as she could, if it wasn't for Mahad's apprentice, Atem might not have survived.

As soon as he'd been returned to the palace, Eshe had rushed to see him; she'd thrown her arms around him without caring who had seen, and for a moment he had remained stoic, before giving into his feelings, and he too had embraced her.

And now, he was with his remaining priests, drawing a strategy together to help put an end to Bakura's plans before they reached maturity. Eshe couldn't stand sitting by doing nothing while Atem tried to figure something out; she had wanted to help, but Atem wholly denied her.

"You will go to our chambers and stay there until I come", Atem had told her without room for argument, and yet, Eshe had protested.

"I want to be with you", was her response, and she watched as he blinked slowly and swayed on his feet, "You're exhausted- you need to rest!"

"No", he shook his head, "Go back to our chambers", were his conclusive words, before he'd ordered a guard to escort her back to their room.

Reluctantly, Eshe had left, and she had begun to regret it.

Her thoughts reeled over the destruction she observed, hoping the number of casualties was low. How could Egypt come back from this?

The noise of the door to their chambers creaked open and Eshe spun round to face Atem, whose hand was clutched firmly around the cord that held the Millennium Puzzle at his chest; his face was worryingly blank, and Eshe wondered just what had been discussed as they worked to find a solution for Bakura's madness.

"Atem?" Eshe whispered as she took several long strides towards him; her arms engulfed him immediately, holding him close in an attempt to help lessen her fears, "Have you come to sleep?"

This time, Atem did not return the affectionate gesture; instead, he slowly pulled away from her, stepping around the bed and towards the balcony. Eshe followed him with a deep frown, knowing that something was deeply wrong.

She stood behind him, looking over his shoulder at the terror in the city; fire roared from several spots, and the distant noise of bloodcurdling screams brought tears to Eshe's eyes. Atem's silence was beginning to scare her.

"Atem?" she asked again, and the boy looked down, a very soft but audible sigh leaving him.

"I remember the exact moment I knew I was in love with you", Atem spoke, his voice so gentle and quiet that Eshe almost didn't hear him. The queen swallowed heavily, waiting for her husband to continue.

"You weren't looking at me. You were standing right here on my balcony. We were ten years old, you were watching the birds, and you were so happy. You weren't looking at me, but I was looking at you."

Eshe's face scrunched up slightly as the tears in her eyes spilled over her cheeks; Atem's words were sweet, but his tone of voice made them sound sombre and far too grim for her liking. Eshe couldn't help but think the fact that he'd said such things could only mean bad news.

"I was looking at you. I remember thinking you were the most wonderful thing I'd ever seen, and your smile was gorgeous", his voice broke into a brief whisper and he swallowed, continuing with a little more strength in his voice, "I had this overwhelming urge to hold you tightly… so I did, and you looked at me, confused, and told me to let go of you, because I was scaring off the birds."

Eshe's lip trembled, her hands shaking, each breath accompanied by a whimper as her eyes blurred from the excessive tears.

"So now you know", Atem whispered, "That's why it took me so long to tell you how I felt about you. I knew I loved you since I was ten years old, and I thought you didn't like me back, because that _one_ time I held you, you didn't want to hold me back."

He finally turned around, a wry smile on his face, his eyes glossy with tears that he had the willpower to hold back, "I was a stupid kid", he spoke, his voice heavy with emotion, and Eshe shook her head, her lungs burning as she tried to stamp down on the sobs that wanted to erupt from her.

She'd figured out why he was saying such things.

"Please don't", Eshe managed to say through the compulsive gasps, "Don't go, please."

Atem's sarcastic smile fell as he looked down, unable to meet the queen's gaze, "I'm sorry, Eshe. I have to."

" _No_ ", Eshe whimpered, shaking her head violently, "You can't go. _You can't_. Not again- I already thought- I already thought I'd lost you today, please don't leave", it had become hard for her to speak through the thick veil of emotional pain.

"Bakura means to resurrect a dreadful power in the form of a demon; I'm the only one who has the power to stop him, Eshe, I have to go."

Despite his bravado in suggesting his course of action, Eshe could tell he was deeply frightened, " _No_ , you can't go out there, _Atem!_ Just- send the army!"

Atem's gaze narrowed on her, "What kind of king would I be to sit safe in my throne while an entire army risks their lives for me?" his tone was low and angry, and Eshe wanted to scream in frustration.

"A _smart_ one, Atem!"

The pharaoh huffed in exasperation, stepping around Eshe to walk back into their quarters; Eshe swung around and grabbed ahold of his wrist before he could take another step.

"If you're going to risk your life, then you better be damn sure I'm coming with you!" the queen snapped, her grip on his arm had to have been painful.

At once, Atem faced her again, prying her hand from his wrist, "You will stay here and you will not leave this room", he spoke, his voice frightfully calm given the circumstances.

" _You're insane_ if you think I'm just going to sit here while you ride to your death!" At her continued contending, Atem pushed her back a little too forcefully and the backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed, she fell back with a cry against the mattress, immediately scrambling up in surprise.

Atem's face retained an iciness she'd never seen before, she did not like it one bit; the pharaoh swallowed hard, his lip quivering ever so slightly, "You will stay here and you will not disobey my orders, I can command the guards to make sure you don't leave this room. Do not make me do that, Eshe."

" _You can't order me around-"_

" _I'm the pharaoh_!" Atem shouted, cutting off her protest and making her shake in astonishment that he would raise his voice at her, " _I can do what I want_!" his proclamation would've sounded childish if it didn't fill Eshe with fear.

"Atem, please stop this", Eshe whispered, "You're going to _die_ out there!"

"If it means saving my kingdom, then so be it!" He roared in response, and for a moment, the only sound that filled the room was Eshe's frantic breaths mixed with wracking sobs.

Eshe shook her head helplessly, "Wh-what about… we were going to start a family- we were going to have children… what about m-me?"

Atem's stony expression didn't falter as he spoke his next words, "That doesn't matter anymore."

Eshe paled, her mouth growing dry; the only thought that surfaced in her mind was that this wasn't Atem, this couldn't be him- he would never act the way he was acting. He had said himself only three days prior, " _You're the most important thing in the world to me. You always come first, no matter what."_

"You… why are you doing this…?"

"My duty as king is to fight until the end. I won't let anymore pain come to my kingdom-"

"B-but you'll let pain come to me?" Eshe stammered, her eyes shimmering with agony.

Atem's mouth opened, and then shut, before opening again, "This is bigger than us, Eshe. If I don't go out there and fight, there will be nothing left."

Eshe wasn't hearing his words, her mind was on one thing only, "Then I'm coming with you, Atem", she cried again, and Atem's fists clenched in annoyance.

" _No, you aren't_ ", with that, he turned, and Eshe darted off the bed, grabbing him again - she couldn't let him leave, _she couldn't_.

Atem grunted at her unyielding grip, "Let me go, Eshe", his voice was deadly calm.

" _No_!"

The pharaoh pulled her arms off of him with no regard for how vigorous he was being, when she tried to struggle, he pushed her away again. This time, she didn't land on the soft bed; she landed on the stone floor with a cry of pain as she tripped over her own foot. For a moment, she shook, before looking up in disbelief at Atem's now remorseful face.

"Eshe, I-"

The queen didn't care what he had to say; he had promised never to harm her, and yet he had pushed her roughly to the floor. Eshe wasn't thinking about the fact that deep down, she would always regret her next words.

" _I hate you!_ "

Atem's gaze locked with her's for several long moments, his eyes growing wide, his mouth fell open but no words came out and he shifted his weight as he took a step back, his chest rising and falling a little quicker as his breathing sped up.

He pursed his lips and took a step towards the bedside table, before silently removing the malachite bracelet from his wrist. He placed it on the table, unable to face Eshe, and left the room.

Eshe felt like she was going to pass out, trying and failing to pull herself to her feet before the door fell shut behind her husband.

And just like that, he left her.

* * *

Eshe remained pressed against the cold, stone floor for what had to be at least two hours; she did not have the strength to move, and more than anything, she hated herself. What finally kicked her into action was the booming sound of thunder coming from the balcony entrance; she shook at the noise, scrambling to her feet as best she could - it took a few tries to reach her feet without stumbling.

Across the sands of the desert, she saw a horrifying sight - a great beast that could only have been the demon Atem had mentioned was a part of Bakura's evil plans. If she was seeing that thing, it meant Bakura had reached the final stages of his schemes - and Atem was in danger.

With a terrified breath, Eshe jumped up, running towards the door. She bashed her hands against it repeatedly, " _Let me out! Please, let me out!_ " It had been locked from the outside, and she could hear the guards responding to her sudden cries.

One of the guards was her friend, Asim, "I'm sorry, my queen", he told her, "I can't let you out… pharaoh's orders."

" _Asim! Open this door right now!_ ", it was no use, she did not have the authority to override the king's command, " _Asim, please… I can't let my last words to Atem be 'I hate you'!"_

Asim did not give into her desperate pleas, he was far too loyal to the king; Eshe felt to her knees, feeling nothing but betrayal.

But still, she couldn't just stand there.

Outside, the sky was dark and ominous; Eshe rushed to grab the blanket from the bed and returned immediately to the balcony. She only had one choice, there was every chance her next stunt could go terribly wrong, but as she tied one corner of the blanket to the balcony partition, she realised that regardless of the risk, she had to find Atem and tell him how much she loved him before it was too late.

As if by miracle, Eshe dropped from the end of the bedsheet and landed mostly unscathed; her leg throbbed a little from when Atem had pushed her earlier, and the drop from the balcony left her with a few scrapes, but she was up again in mere moments, sprinting at top speed to the stables to find her horse.

She evaded any guards, and rode her horse at top speed out of the palace - the soldiers were too preoccupied with fighting the monsters to notice her - and through the city towards the desert. Part way through her vigorous travel, the great beast disappeared from the skies, and a spark of hope grew within her chest that perhaps Atem had prevailed against Bakura's plans.

Sabiya the crow joined her along the way, and she desperately plead the bird to help her locate her husband.

By the time Eshe found Atem, he was still alive, but it was too late to save him. It was too late to get him help.

After only a few short minutes, he was gone forever.

* * *

 **Notes: Oh look, and early upload and a chapter longer than any before it. I must love you guys so much :') Please excuse any spelling errors, I wrote about 10,000 words today and I haven't stopped. I accidentally forgot to eat dinner. WHOOPS. Please review, or I might cry :')**


	32. Dark Days, Darker Nights

Transcending Time

Chapter Thirty-One: Dark Days, Darker Nights

A peculiar thing it is, to watch a loved one die, and not just that, but to die so quietly and abruptly.

Losing a loved one is like drowning. The initial shock hits you like an aggressive wave in a storm and pulls you under, dragging you down, deeper and deeper into empty sorrow. You cannot breathe, you cannot think, you cannot react.

And then the darkness closes in.

It was brutal. The sensation that gripped Eshe's heart was like nothing she had ever experienced; even learning to comprehend her mother's death as she grew older didn't leave her as despairing as she felt at that very moment.

The boy she had grown up with, had fallen in love with and had wished to start a family with, was gone.

She could tell the exact moment it happened; one moment, there was a thread of life in his deep purple eyes as he looked at her with all the sorrow in the world, and the next moment, he was no longer looking at her.

He was looking through her.

His eyes were unseeing; no longer did his soul inhabit his body.

The feeling that comes with losing a loved one, well, if such a thing has never happened to you, _you could not possibly imagine it._

Eshe's throat was too tight for her to let out the sobs her body so desperately needed to emit, a growing pressure became evident in her chest as screams tried to fight their way out, but she couldn't scream. She couldn't make a noise.

She felt like she was choking.

She had realised too late just what Atem's intentions had been before leaving the palace; he had known even then that the only way to stop the Dark One was through his sacrifice - it was so obvious to Eshe now. Her stupid husband felt the need to push her away because he knew this choice of action would _destroy_ Eshe, and that it would be easier for the queen to swallow if she resented him. That was Atem's train of thought at the time.

Stupid, _stupid_ Atem.

Eshe's bleary eyes travelled over the pharaoh's face; his vacant stare piercing through her. His once effervescent gaze was now unresponsive, an impassive void that kindled the dread inside of her; she couldn't look into his eyes any longer.

With all the gentleness she could muster, Eshe brought her fingertips down over his eyelids, dragging them shut, and she cradled him in her arms, her hold tightening on him minutely as a breeze passed by her. She was still clothed in a thin dress with nothing to keep her body warmth centered, and she could feel tiny goosebumps rise on her skin as a shiver afflicted her.

Now that Atem's eyes were closed, he looked so peaceful; no pain or torment on his face as there was just minutes prior. The typical knit of his eyebrows was lost in the abyss and all that remained was a slack expression, his dry lips faintly parted.

She already missed his tender kisses that left her bathed in adoration.

Eshe leaned down, pressing a feeble kiss to the corner of his mouth, as if the mere desperate action might bring life back to him; she could still feel the warmth below his skin that was slowly ebbing away.

The queen felt sick, trapped within a nightmare with no visible escape - perhaps that's all it was. She could have drifted into a restless sleep after Atem left their room with the order that she had to be kept locked up, it was entirely possible that she was dreaming the worst sort of dream, and that soon enough she was going to awaken and be gifted by the news that her husband had survived the apocalyptic attack from the Dark One, and banished the evil without sacrificing himself.

... _In another life, maybe._

Eshe's fleeting, childish hope was a defensive construct to try and soothe her weakened mind; it was useless to try and deny the reality of the situation.

At last, Eshe released a shuddering, audible breath followed by a broken whimper, "Atem… you can't b-be dead… you can't…"

The Millennium Puzzle on the sand beside Atem's head glinted in her peripheral vision and Eshe cast her weary gaze upon it for a few moments before it registered to her that Atem was not dead, no, he was trapped - trapped within that damned object that now also imprisoned the demonic entity Bakura had brought forth. The boy in her arms was an empty shell, no longer blessed by Atem's righteous soul.

She cautiously reached for the pyramid-shaped pendant, her fingertips brushing the solid gold surface that seemed to quiver below her touch, as if reacting to her proximity.

"Atem?" Eshe choked out, her hand trembling as she grasped the cord of the necklace, holding it up to her face, "Can you h-hear me?" It was a futile hope that her husband's deep, endearing voice might ring back through her mind, and with a cut-off sob, she pressed her forehead against the object, whimpering again, "Please… please come back…"

The harrowing silence around her was encompassing and enclosing, making her feel trapped inside a noiseless void of despondence; she couldn't take it anymore.

She screamed.

Huge, wretched shrieks left her mouth, powerful squalls that very quickly transformed into despairing whines from the back of her throat; her body rejected the action immediately, and a painful scratch in her gullet pushed forth a series of sputtering coughs. She collapsed in on herself, retching as she forced back the need to hack up her lungs, and heaved convulsive breaths, shaking away the lightheadedness that crept up on her.

Bitter thoughts spiraled through her mind with no end in sight - what if she had been with him? If she had escaped their chambers sooner, she could have helped him defeat the evil and maybe - _maybe_ \- the outcome would have been different. She had laid across the cold stone floor while her husband protected his kingdom with the commendable strength and bravery that Eshe lacked; she did not deserve to be queen, she deserved _nothing_.

It should've been her. Atem was far more important to the world, he could've done so much more in his life, but now he did not have that chance - and he never would.

Eshe almost hadn't been able to say goodbye. If she had childishly delayed for a few minutes longer on the hard floor of the royal chambers, she would never have been able to tell Atem that she loved him, and he would've left this plane of existence thinking the girl he married had turned her back on him.

In his last few moments he had told her that he loved her, but she did not deserve his love, not when she had unthinkingly screamed hatred in his face as he was marching into battle to selflessly risk his life for the _world._

She wished she hadn't met his heroic altruism with inconsiderate, thoughtless _rage_.

Why had she said such a thing? _Why? WHY?_

The tears running down her cheeks were cold, chilled by the frigid night air, but her eyes were hot and puffy; her airways had become hindered due to her swollen sinuses that emerged from the prominent emotion surging behind her face.

' _The necklace - don't take it off_.'

Eshe lowered the Millennium Puzzle and gazed down at the necklace that had been Atem's engagement gift to her. Her skin glinted in the moonlight where her tear tracks had continued to travel over her chin, down her neck and towards the rim of her dress, making the fabric darken with dampness. The necklace hung at her breast above her clothing, beautiful as always; her husband had designed the stunning piece of jewellery himself, and it was made with love and care.

Atem had insisted she wear it always, to never take it off no matter what - she had reached to unclasp it once before bed, and Atem had caught her hands and told her not to remove it. When she had curiously inquired as to why, he had simply smiled, and told her ' _because everytime I see you wearing it, it reminds me that even the most beautiful jewellery cannot compare to your visage_ '; despite her bashfulness, she hadn't failed to pick up on the strange note in his voice that led her to believe that wasn't the only reason. She had not pressed him, but now she wished she had.

Eshe's frantic breaths were punctuated with uncontrollable hiccups as she raised the cord of the Puzzle over her head, the pyramid-shaped pendant hanging pointedly against her own necklace. Simply knowing that Atem's entrapped soul rested close to her heart was a comforting notion.

For now, she would keep Atem's confined soul in safe hands, and she would respect his wishes; she would never take her necklace off.

A sudden gust of air rushed past her, filling her with cold discomfort, and she reflexively hunched her body over Atem, holding him closer as she had several nights in the past when the chill of the night had crawled into their bedroom and the blanket had not been enough to comfort her. He had always been so cosy, bringing warmth to her even in his sleep and occasionally murmuring unconsciously or twitching whenever Eshe entangled her icy cold feet between his ankles.

He wasn't warm now.

His rapidly cooling body was slowly reaching the environmental temperature, and holding him close no longer provided Eshe with the soothing comfort it once did.

But she couldn't let him go.

* * *

Half an hour had passed since Atem took his last breath and Eshe's body was in a constant state of shivering, her muscles jerking roughly whenever she moved; a sandstorm had brewed in the not-too-distant horizon and moved steadily towards her. If she didn't make a move soon, she would be engulfed in lively whirls of suffocating sands, making it hard for her to breathe even more than she currently could.

But she had not the willpower to leave Atem's body in the middle of the desert. The only way to get safely away was to leave the pharaoh behind, but if she were to do such a thing, she may never find his body again, and instead of receiving a proper burial, he would decompose in the harsh, arid wasteland. The thought made her sick; after everything Atem had endured, the very least he deserved was a king's burial.

Eshe had no idea where Sabiya was; she had sent the crow to find help, hopeful that her dear friend would fly swiftly back to the city to find someone who could offer assistance - but if any of the palace guards or city soldiers were harassed by a frantic crow, they would not assume it wished for them to follow.

With a high-pitched sob, Eshe reached for the torn purple cape that remained around her dead husband's body. It was damaged and caked with blood, but she needed to keep herself warm somehow, and it hurt her to take the royal fabric off of Atem's body to wrap it around herself; somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew there was no logic to wanting to keep a corpse warm, but the overpowering thought that she was taking away his beloved cape without his permission left her befallen with guilt.

She wrapped the purple material around her shoulders, clutching it tightly with one hand while she continued to cradle Atem's body with her free arm; her eyes travelled to the hand he had stilled curled over the wound on his abdomen and let out a soft cry.

Eshe couldn't stand to see such a pure and kind person end up in such a terrible condition; it distressed her that her husband was in pain in his last moments - Atem didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve any of this.

"I'm sorry", Eshe whispered, her voice catching in her throat; she was sure she looked a mess with unsightly fluids dripping from every orifice on her face, not that it mattered much now with nobody around to see her. "I'm so sorry… I'm sorry", she knew he couldn't hear her, but she had to break the silence with something, "...I'm sorry… _I'm so sorry, I'm sorry_ ", fresh tears fell from her sore eyes.

There was no escaping her sorrow.

The sound of Eshe's heart pumped heavily through her ears, reminding her that she was alive; _she_ was alive and _he_ was not. It was inequitable that Atem would never be allowed to grow old, that they would never have children and live the life they often spoke about with longing fondness.

A cloud of dust appeared ahead of Eshe as the steady noise of her heartbeat grew louder, and just a few moments passed before she realised it wasn't her heartbeat at all.

Manned horses galloped towards her at high speed, and ahead of them, Sabiya swooped low across the sand, coming to a stop before her; the crow tilted her head as she observed Atem's lifeless body, and bowed her head remorsefully as she let out a weak croak - nothing like the powerful caw she often released when she was happy.

Eshe blinked her bleary eyes up at the imminent arrival of riders on horses, unable to make out exactly who it was through her blurry vision, but as they drew close and slowed dramatically, she caught a hint of blue and figured there was only one person she knew who wore such vivid robes.

"Seto?" she whispered aloud, a stray hiccup escaping her mouth.

The sudden appearance of the High Priest brought her a morsel of comfort, simply knowing that she was no longer _alone_ in the middle of the cold desert clutching a corpse was enough to ease the crippling grief in her heart, if only a fraction.

Seto halted his horse, climbing down as several soldiers dismounted their horses around him, and the priest moved towards her hastily. Eshe knew the moment Seto realised how dire the situation was, that Atem was in fact dead, not just injured - the priest's pace towards her faltered, his lips parted and his eyes widened, and it sent stabs of heartbreak through Eshe's chest all over again.

Sharp breaths left Eshe's chapped lips as her gaze fell down to the motionless body in her arms, her grip subconsciously tightening as Seto stared down at the pharaoh. The soldiers stayed back, their heads bowed in low spirits as they too realised their king's fate.

Nobody moved and nobody spoke, until the wind picked up a little more, and Seto took a firm breath before speaking with a surprisingly strong resolve, "We must take him back to the palace, my queen."

Eshe dipped her head in a wordless nod, acknowledging Seto's words, and as the priest turned to give an order to the soldier behind him, the queen couldn't find it in her heart to let go of her husband's body; she drew in tighter to Atem, her shoulders tense as the soldier knelt down to attempt to pry her away.

"No", she whispered breathlessly, her sobs like broken whimpers. She wasn't ready to let go of him.

"Eshe", Seto spoke again, his voice a little louder with an underlying hint of agitation, "Release him. We must take him back, _now_."

The soldier was unwilling to be too forceful with the queen, and tried yet again to pry her gently away from the pharaoh; when it became clear Eshe wasn't going to loosen her desperate hold, Seto nodded grievously to the soldier, who clamped his strong hands around Eshe's wrists and coercively separated her from Atem, penitently ignoring her screams of protest.

Sabiya did nothing; even the crow knew the direness of the situation, and that it was important to return Eshe and the pharaoh to the palace as hastily as possible, before the growing sandstorm encroached.

Eshe fell limp in the soldier's arms after a few pathetic moments of struggling, overcome with exhaustion from the events of the night, she had already been sleep deprived with worry when she rushed out of the city on her horse, and since then her body had become dehydrated from the flood of endless tears seeping from her eyes. It was quite miraculous that she hadn't passed out long ago.

She was still conscious, but her body had no energy, and it was clear that Seto was aware of her feeble state; she needed help, and the priest had no qualms with being rough with her if it meant she would be returned to the palace safely.

Seto carried Atem effortlessly back to his horse, and mounted the animal with Atem's body leaning back against his chest; with one hand on the reigns and one hand holding the pharaoh steady, the priest set his horse into a hasty canter, while the soldier did the same with Eshe.

The journey back was woeful and silent; Eshe's head hung down against her chest, but the jogging motion of the horse left her unable to sink into a reluctant sleep. She rose her gaze to the right where Seto rode at a steady pace and stared at Atem; his body slack leaning back against the priest. The queen looked at his unopened eyes, and if Eshe hadn't witnessed his death first hand, she could've tricked herself into believing he was still alive, merely sleeping as he recovered from his injuries.

If only.

* * *

Eshe couldn't remember when she fell asleep, whether it was before they returned to the palace or after they'd entered past the walls. One moment she was trying to fight the plaguing hopelessness in her mind, and the next moment she had awoke in an infirmary bed with a pitcher of water pressed to her lips only a few short seconds later.

She drank what was offered to soothe her raw throat and the worried voice of the healer grew sharper until Eshe could understand what was being said to her.

"My queen, how do you feel?" the man inquired gently, and Eshe let her head fall back against the pillow, her voice grating as she quietly answered the question.

"Terrible."

The healer frowned and nodded sympathetically, letting out a soft sigh, "My queen… your presence is required in the meal hall. The priests have requested a meeting take place as soon as you are able to join them."

Eshe's eyes fell closed again; she did not feel like speaking to anybody, especially not about the events of the night gone by. She simply could not find the ardour or the willpower to lift her head and shuffle out of the bed.

The queen could tell that her clothing had been changed, the soft material providing minimal comfort to her skin, not dirtied with sand or blood; her hair felt coarse and dusty against her scalp, and the once consoling weight against her neck was now missing.

Eshe's eyes snapped open and she shot upright, startling the healer, " _Where is my necklace?_ "

The man beside her bed stammered for a moment before he turned and stepped towards his medicine table, "It's right here, my queen- it's safe, not damaged-"

" _Give it to me_ ", Eshe held her hand out, her dry, stinging eyes beginning to simultaneously leak; the healer did as he was asked, quickly placing the jewellery into her outstretched palm. The queen secured the clasp around her neck and dragged her fingertips over the lapis carving, relieved that it was now back where it belonged. She rose the pendant up to press her lips to the gold backing, almost like a silent apology to her husband that the necklace had been removed against his wishes.

After a moment, Eshe realised that something else was missing, "The Puzzle - where is the Puzzle?"

The healer blinked before responding, "Priest Seto took the Millennium Puzzle - he likely has it with him, in the meal hall."

Eshe pulled the blanket away from her body, swinging her legs over the side of the bed as the healer put his hands up in protest, "Please, my queen, you are not rested enough to leave your bed- the priests have informed me that the meeting will not begin until you are with them. They _will_ wait for you, please rest just a little longer-"

"I'm fine", the queen said bluntly, her voice as monotonous as her barely expressive face; she pushed herself up as the healer pressed his hands to her shoulders, encouraging her to return to the bed, "Take your hands off me." Eshe didn't have time to play around, she needed the Puzzle back - she needed to keep it safe.

The healer swallowed, before speaking firmly to the queen, "If you must go, then allow me to escort you. You are not yet recovered and may require medical attention."

"Fine", the queen murmured, pushing herself up once again to her unsteady feet; she swayed for a moment before taking several experimental steps. Her muscles screamed with excruciating protest, but she fought through the pain with obsessive determination.

With the healer moving steadily at her pace beside her, the queen made her way slowly, but surely, towards the meal hall, her steps faltering every so often as she fought off the swirling nausea in her stomach - the healer, of course, made a fuss over her. Eshe tried her best to shut the man's worrisome voice out, pushing herself to the limit with each step she took.

After a considerable amount of time, Eshe found herself entering the meal hall; she paused as all eyes in the room turned to her, and felt the nausea in her stomach rise up dangerously to her chest. She squashed down the urge to throw up with a heaving breath and reluctantly moved forward, her eyes boring into the ground away from the occupants of the large table, and found her way to her seat.

Silence ensued as she sat down, restraining a breath of relief as she took the pressure off her aching legs; the healer stood beside her, his gaze resting on her heavily with a knowing look that implied he knew exactly how much of a struggle Eshe's walk to her destination had been. The queen did not appreciate the attention.

"You can go now", Eshe mumbled, her hands gripping the arms of her wooden chair with a relatively harsh grip - she wished everyone would just _stop staring at her_.

The healer frowned, looking up to Seto, who nodded reluctantly.

"I'll be outside the room in case I'm needed", the man spoke, bowing his head respectfully, before turning to leave.

When the door closed shut behind him, Eshe once again felt all the eyes in the room boring into her; she kept her head low, but flicked her eyes up briefly to locate the Millennium Puzzle, which she found sitting solitarily on the table near Seto.

Every time she looked upon it, she remembered Atem's soul was inside; her eyes fell shut for a moment, before she turned her head slowly and looked upon the empty seat beside her at the head of the table.

Only a couple days prior, Atem had occupied the seat; he had been consumed with worry following the disruption of his coronation and had leaned his elbow on the arm of the chair with his cheek resting in his palm, a consistent look of concern on his handsome face. Eshe had leaned forwards in her chair with a reassuring smile, and curled her hand around his free one, promising him that all would be okay. He had smiled back at her, believing her words.

 _If only she had known how untrue her words were_.

"You should eat, Eshe."

Eshe was broken out of her wistful daydream, her gaze rising to Isis who regarded her with sympathy; the queen's jaw clenched as she looked upon the wielder of the Millennium Necklace - the woman who had prophetic powers and could see into the future.

 _If only Isis had foreseen Atem's death, it may have been avoidable._

"I'm not hungry", Eshe spoke, her voice hoarse from her dry throat.

"But you haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon", Mana was the one to speak up next, and Eshe gazed at her solemnly. Mahad's successor had puffy cheeks and sore eyes, much like Eshe did, and there was slight hitch to her voice as if she still had tears to cry. Eshe wasn't surprised. Mana had suffered two huge losses; her master and her friend.

 _If only Mahad hadn't gone after Bakura with so little backup, he may have still been around to stop Atem from sacrificing his life._

Eshe's eyes dropped to the food on the table before her; her stomach felt empty, but the nausea stirring within her kept her from devouring anything - she'd never be able to keep it down.

"I'm not hungry."

Priest Seto was clearly agitated, his eyebrows drawn together in impatience; instead of pushing Eshe to eat something, he decided to commence the meeting - skipping the pleasantries, of course. There were no ' _how are you feeling, Eshe?_ ' because Seto of all people knew just how much of a stupid question that was.

 _If only Seto had been fighting with Atem as opposed to defending city entrances when the final battle took place, he may have been able to bring the pharaoh back to the palace sooner to patch up his wound._

"The mummification process of the pharaoh's body has begun. Shimon is overlooking preparations. In seventy days, we will perform the burial ritual", Seto spoke, his voice strong and clear despite the pain he was evidently experiencing. The priest paused to glance over at Eshe, but she remained quiet with her eyes low, staring at the wooden table before her.

"Atem's body will be treated with the utmost care", the blue-eyed priest continued.

Eshe chewed the inside of her lip bitterly. It did not matter how expertly or gently the embalmers dealt with her husband's body, he would never be allowed entrance to the afterlife with his soul trapped within a cursed object; Eshe felt her jaw clench as she realised Seto probably was not yet aware of that. The queen let her head fall, pressing her hands to her scrunched up face to hide the distraught emotion on her face.

The motion drew the gaze of everybody at the table, Seto frowned warily at the queen but Isis was the one who gently inquired, "Eshe?"

Eshe didn't want to break down again. There was a creeping pressure in her skull that made her head ache, and her eyes stung painfully with sore redness, protesting as tears tried to squirm their way out from tightly shut eyelids; her whole face felt stiff and her dry throat felt shredded from her endless sobs of the prior night.

"Speak, Eshe", Seto demanded, sensing Eshe had something she needed to say.

Eshe parted her lips to tell the other three exactly what Atem had promised her to tell them, but no words came from her mouth; she erupted into a short coughing fit and Mana quickly stood, grabbing a pitcher of water from the table to fill a cup. The young magician held the cup out for Eshe to take and the queen did so gratefully, gulping down the water to appease the uncomfortable twinge in her throat.

The water was cool and helped to put a damper on her fluctuating emotions for a few desperate moments, Eshe used the short period of time to tell the priests as much as she could, "I found Atem before he died, he told me he'd locked that demon away inside the Millennium Puzzle, but he too had to sacrifice his life for it to stay locked- his… his soul is in there", she swallowed heavily, her minute respite from emotional pain coming to an end as tears resurfaced again, "his s-soul is trapped in the… Puzzle… f-forever."

Everyone's attention was drawn to the golden object on the table, but Seto's eyes troubled Eshe the most - his pupils had shrunk from shock and his stare was wide and unblinking, lips pursed in a thin line.

"Forever? You mean there's no way to free his soul at all?" Mana cried, her hands trembling, and Eshe shook her head, grinding her teeth back and forth.

Seto clenched his fists while Isis covered her mouth grievously, and the blue-eyed priest spoke again, "Atem deserves so much more for his sacrifice", his voice was tight and angry, "He gave his life for the world, and yet he will not bask in eternal rest as it is owed to him", his composure broke briefly as he shut his eyes for a few seconds, before opening them determinedly, "He will have the grandest burial, we will pass on stories through future generations of Atem's bravery and sacrifice. He will be remembered until the end of time, he will _never_ be forgotten!"

"...No", Eshe's broken whimper sounded and she couldn't meet Seto's perturbed gaze.

"What do you mean _no_?" the priest inquired heavily, restrained fury permeating through his stiff words.

Eshe did not answer immediately, and Seto slammed his fist down on the table, "Eshe, tell us everything you know", the priest ordered. The queen flinched from the sudden loudness of his voice, as did the other two at the table.

"Seto, please-" Isis began, but the blue-eyed priest cut her off immediately.

"It is imperative that we know the information Eshe seems so reluctant to give us. If there are important details of Atem's sacrifice that he wanted us to know, then she needs to _talk_."

Seto's tone was icy and Eshe knew he was right, but something inside her kept her silent - the dread that sunk in knowing her husband might be forgotten, lost in history, while he suffered within the Puzzle. The concept that nobody would know they were only alive because of Atem, while he was doomed to never see the sun again - and he'd never even remember why, with his spirit confined with no memory of who he was or why we was fated to suffer.

The memory of Atem deserved to be celebrated and preserved forever; he was supposed to receive the utmost praise for his heroic endeavours, remembered as the deity he was, a divine being with the strongest and most genuine soul Eshe had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

If she told Seto what Atem had told her, none of that would come to pass.

But Atem's sacrifice would be worthless, and the notion of Atem's not-death being in vain was far more painful than anything she had felt already.

The queen took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and spoke, "The magic with which Atem used to seal his and that demon's soul away forever required a key", Eshe blinked hard a few times, steeling herself to speak on, "That key was his name. He wiped his own memory so that not even he could be tempted to escape his entrapment; his name must be wiped from every wall, every tome, every letter- it cannot… s-survive", her voice broke at the end of her admission, her eyebrows drawing low as she tried not to cry. She already appeared a pitiful mess, she had to try to remain professional, at the very least.

Atem had always been brilliant at hiding his negative emotions from anyone but Eshe; his composure was always commendable - she wished she could emulate his regal display.

The table fell silent once again, and Eshe could feel the suffering between everybody in the room; even as a shared sorrow, the heartache was still overwhelming.

Searching her mind for anything more that Atem had asked her to relay, she sniffed and rubbed her irritated eyes, "The Puzzle must not fall into the wrong hands… if anyone like Bakura were to possess it, the consequences would be… disastrous…" Eshe blinked slowly, her grip tightening on the arms of her chair as the world tilted briefly, lightheadedness overtaking her and bringing black fuzziness to her vision. She saw Seto's lips move but didn't quite pick up on his words, and stared at him with sickly incomprehension for a few moments.

"Did you hear what I said?" Seto inquired slowly, and Eshe faintly shook her head.

"Please eat something, Eshe", Mana implored in a desperate manner; the young magician bit her quivering lip, nothing but intense concern evident on her face. Eshe couldn't cause the younger girl anymore distress, and she reluctantly reached with trembling hands towards a small bread roll on one of the plates in front of her. Mana nodded encouragingly and Eshe tore the roll in half, pulling soft bread from the inside to slowly nibble on. The queen couldn't see herself eating anything else on the table at the present moment, bread was just about plain enough to not irritate her stomach.

Eshe continued to peck at the bread in small amounts as she rose her gaze to Seto again, an expectant look on her paling face.

"I said, we will bury the pharaoh with the Puzzle, and we will make his tomb the most secure in all Egyptian history. We will instill traps and lethal devices in the passageways leading to his crypt and they will be far more abundant than that of the deterrents in King Aknamkanon's tomb. We must never allow anyone to reach as far as Bakura did."

Eshe swallowed another piece of bread, nodding her head softly to show she acknowledged the priest's words; at the very least, Atem's body would be protected, and all his precious items would be safely buried alongside him, where they belonged.

"Now comes the matter of the throne", Isis spoke softly, her eyes flicking to Seto, who dipped his head in a brief nod.

"You may have heard, Eshe, it was revealed a few days ago that Priest Aknadin was my father. I was not aware of this fact until it came to light. Given that Atem was my cousin, and that the two of you failed to produce an heir, the throne falls to me", he spoke with supreme neutrality that did not betray his feelings, and Eshe's gaze fell when Seto brought up their lack of success in conceiving a child.

They had tried only a few times when the priests had reminded them how urgent it was that they produce an heir and they felt pressured to do so, but Atem had often told her he'd rather wait until they were both older. His mother had been young when she'd given birth to Atem, and had not survived the ordeal; Eshe could only assume that was the reason Atem wished to delay it.

Eshe shrugged her shoulders lightly, accepting where the monarchy would be headed; she had every confidence that Seto would make a good king.

The queen reached for her cup, taking another small sip of water, hoping the meeting was coming to a swift end.

"Is there anything else we must know?" Seto asked after a moment of watching Eshe with a stern expression; the queen paused, lowering her cup back to the table. She stared down at the half-eaten bread roll on her plate, unwilling to hold eye contact with anybody else at the table at that moment.

There was something else.

 _The Puzzle must be shattered_ , she heard Atem's pained voice echo in her mind, _Promise me you'll tell Seto._

She had promised him. Eshe felt aching stabs in her stomach as she struggled with the inner conflict of whether or not to keep her promise to the man she loved.

Because if the Puzzle was destroyed, there was absolutely no way… no way she would ever see Atem again. Until that moment, Eshe had kept her composure together under the pretense that they could find another way to defeat the Dark One, and somehow bring Atem back - but if the Puzzle was shattered into pieces…

 _Tell Seto… tell him._

She didn't want to- she couldn't-

 _Eshe, promise me… you'll tell him._

Eshe's lips parted, her voice quivering, "I… I…"

 _I promise… I promise._

 _...Thank you, Eshe…_

Fresh tears spilled from Eshe's eyes as her eyelids fell shut, she shook her head, "T-there's… more…"

"Tell us", Seto ordered, his eyebrows knitted together with restlessness.

"The Puzzle… it-" Eshe clamped her mouth shut, oscillating on her choice for a few agonising moments, "it must be… destroyed… but-"

Seto released a mournful sigh as Eshe stammered anxiously, "If he asked for the Puzzle to be destroyed, then we must destroy it", the priest spoke, reaching for the cord of the pyramid-shaped pendant.

"No, you can't!" Eshe snapped, her tearful and heated gaze on the priest, "If you destroy it, we'll never bring him back!"

Seto regarded Eshe with an incredulous expression while Isis and Mana appeared sympathetic, their eyes were sad and full of condolence. The blue-eyed priest held the Puzzle as he rose to his feet, his completely skeptical frown made Eshe feel so small.

"Eshe", Seto spoke, his voice firm and without any pitiful tenderness so as not to sugar coat revelation, "Atem is _gone_. He's not coming back."

Eshe's white-knuckled grip on her chair arms tightened further, and she swallowed hard, her throat aching as she did so, "B-but, he-"

" _He's not coming back_ ", Seto reiterated rather harshly, "he _can't_ come back without risking the return of the Dark One. He is _gone_." He spoke as if he was talking to a toddler, and Eshe shook with rage.

" _Then we find another way to defeat the Dark One!_ We keep the Puzzle safe and- I- I'm sure we can find something in the archives, or- Mana can figure out a spell, or-"

" _And what?_ His body has already been taken to the embalmers- they're working on removing his organs _as we speak_ \- this is a childish venture of yours-" Seto's teeth began to grind as Eshe stood up so quickly that her chair fell back against the floor.

" _Do you even care!?_ " Eshe cried, her expression frantic and panicked, " _Don't you care that he's going to suffer forever!?_ " She drew in breaths at a worryingly fast pace, her words scathing and furious, " _What kind of loyalty is that?_ "

" _More than can be said for you!_ " Seto roared, and Isis spoke up to try and simmer down the dispute but the blue-eyed priest continued to speak over her, " _I'm loyal enough that I'll carry out his dying request without hesitation! Where's your loyalty, Eshe?_ "

Eshe's jaw fell open in shocked silence as she stared up at the priest, disbelieving and appalled that he would accuse her of disloyalty, and especially in the state she was in - her idea was perfectly valid and Seto shot it down without a moment's delay.

With her extended silence, the priest took the opportunity to raise the Puzzle high above his head; before Eshe could blink, Seto brought the pendant down hard, smashing it against the ground by his feet.

The guttural scream that escaped Eshe's throat pierced through the air like a lance; pain ripped through the queen's chest as she felt her heart shatter in time with the object that imprisoned her husband's soul.

* * *

 _Wake up, Eshe._

A whisper passed across the queen's consciousness, followed by a tingling warmth spreading from her chest throughout her entire body; an amiable hush followed by a gentle, rich chuckle that she knew all too well.

 _...Eshe._

It was unmistakable. The voice of her husband murmured within her mind, accompanied by a feeling of delicate compassion that Eshe could equate to the tickle of loving fingers drawing circles on her arm.

 _Wake up._

Eshe opened her eyes, the name of her beloved on her lips as awareness returned to her; she blinked her bleary vision as a silhouette appeared above her from across the room.

"Eshe?"

This time, the voice that called her name was coarse and touched with concern; Eshe's vision sharpened and revealed the slightly remorseful face of Priest Seto hovering above her. With a supreme lack of energy to do much at all, Eshe sluggishly rolled over and faced away from the blue-eyed man, wishing not to look upon his icy face.

"You had a panic attack and fainted", Seto informed her, before falling silent, awaiting a response of acknowledgement that never came; the priest gave a sigh, "the healer made you lavendar tea to help you rest. It's on the table beside your bed", from the sound of his voice, he expected Eshe to sit up and begin drinking her tea.

She did not, however.

"Stop sulking", Seto demanded exasperatedly, and Eshe's eyes fell shut in lethargic anger - she had every right to sulk.

"Atem is gone because of you", Eshe spoke tightly; deep in the back of her mind, she wanted to get a rise out of Seto. She wanted him to feel the vigorous guilt that was simmering in her heart, she wanted to be able to take her anger out on someone and blame them despite knowing they were not to blame.

"Atem is gone because of Bakura", Seto spoke calmly, his voice void of anger; only sympathy and understanding remained in his tone.

"We could have brought him back, before you-"

"You know that's not true", Seto interrupted, gentle but firm, "Do you think I wanted to destroy it? I didn't, but I did the right thing. Atem sacrificed himself for us, and gave us important instructions to follow. The least we can do is honour his wishes."

There was a beat of silence as Eshe's eyelids tightly shut, locking her emotions down to avoid tormenting her dried out eyes any further.

"I'm sorry", Seto's tone was sincere and apologetic; Eshe sniffed, but otherwise remained silent.

Seto said nothing for a few agonisingly long minutes, and if Eshe was sure she hadn't heard the telltale sound of his footsteps leading away, she would've thought the man was gone; he had a ghostlike presence that could not be sensed. When he spoke again, it was such a sudden break of noiselessness that it almost startled Eshe.

"I've commissioned a container be made to hold the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle", Seto told her, and Eshe's eyebrows knitted for a moment before she turned her head to face him questioningly.

"An box made of gold, intricate in design, with a riddle carved into the side. _Whosoever solves this Puzzle, will be granted my dark knowledge and power_." Seto's gaze rested heavily on Eshe as she shifted to face him, her mouth parting in surprise.

"If it is willed by the Gods, then perhaps… perhaps when someone who is worthy discovers the pieces of the Puzzle-", Seto paused for a moment, " _If_ the Puzzle is repaired… perhaps then, one who is worthy will defeat the darkness and free Atem's soul, and he will be granted the respite he deserves."

Maybe there was hope.

"...Thank you, Seto."

* * *

Even with the speck of hope that Eshe would one day see her beloved again, it was difficult coming to terms with the fact that for now - and for perhaps a long, long time - he was gone. When Eshe was deemed healthy enough to return to her chambers, to rest in her own bed, she was greeted with the overwhelming scent of her husband. It hit her like a wave as she entered the room, and combined with the sight of all his belongings, his jewellery and clothes, and everything he held dear - it was too much of a shock, reminding her how alone she was. With tears she couldn't hold back, Eshe plucked up the malachite bracelet that still sat on the bedside table, collapsed into the untouched sheets of the bed she shared with Atem, and cried herself to sleep with her husband's unforgettable smell filling her head.

The following morning, a maid was sent to change and wash her bedsheets; Eshe sent her away at once, because the soothing scent of Atem permeating all around her at night helped her sleep. Her dreams were blessed with his presence, and she found that she preferred the blissful intermission of fantasy-filled sleep over the excruciating loneliness that came with consciousness. To lose her beloved's scent embedded within her bedsheets was to remember him a little less.

Eshe found difficulty in performing mundane tasks, her appetite had waned and been replaced with a perpetual feeling of queasiness, leaving her unable to eat comfortably. Her desire to bathe and be clean had lessened dramatically, only making her way to the bathing chambers when enough of the maids persuaded her. Even getting out of bed was a chore; Eshe felt that her mere presence was burdening to all those around her who continued to perform their duties admirably, and thus, the urge to remain amongst the blankets in her chambers all day was powerful.

Some days, Eshe awoke with a chill and reflexively reached out for Atem to pull close to him and bathe in his warmth, only to find a vacant space beside her; the realisation always hit her like a brick wall, it was gut-wrenching, and felt like she'd lost him all over again.

Eshe had not visited the garden in weeks, though she still heard the songs the birds sang to her as they perched on her balcony and tried to bring some semblance of peace to her aching heart; on one pleasantly warm afternoon, Dalila came to her room, and unlike the many days before, Eshe allowed her to enter.

The sandy-haired girl was happy to see her, but her face fell at the sorry state the queen was in; Dalila sat on Eshe's bed and rubbed a hand over her shoulder, "Why don't we go for a walk, Eshe?"

Eshe shook her head, "I don't want to", the queen responded miserably, "I don't want to do anything. I don't want to speak to anyone."

Dalila shook her head, "That's a lie", the green-eyed girl told her, and Eshe blinked her confused eyes, looking up at her friend with perplexity in her brown gaze.

"You let me in, didn't you? And you know firsthand how chatty I am. There's no way you let me enter this room thinking I'd sit here in silence until I got bored and left", the girl had a knowing smile on her face that was quirked upwards in the corner, revealing a cheeky smirk.

Eshe was quiet for a moment, before she sighed and reiterated, "I don't want to speak to anyone else."

"You don't have to. No one blames you for what you're going through right now, okay?" the girl tried to comfort her.

"Mana already tried to get me to go outside. It didn't work, she just got frustrated."

"She's not angry at you, Eshe", Dalila told the queen, "She just wants to help you, as do I. Listen to me, okay? I have an idea. First, we'll go to the bathing chambers and get you cleaned up, then I'll do your hair all pretty, then we can eat lunch, and _then_ , we can walk to the courtyard. We don't have to stay there, but you might find that getting a little air will clear your mind up a bit."

Eshe frowned, wanting nothing more than to decline and sink back down into the sheets, but Dalila's proposal seemed far more tempting than Mana's. Mana had tried to persuaded her to get out of bed and go for a walk with no destination in particular, but Dalila offered what was essentially a step by step programme. Eshe was far more akin to the idea of doing specific tasks rather than wandering aimlessly around the palace.

"...Alright."

Dalila led Eshe to the bathing chambers where the queen was thoroughly cleaned - her hair became free of grease, her dry skin washed abundantly with sweet-smelling oils, and for the first time in weeks, she felt a slight alleviation in her mind.

The sandy-haired girl kept her promise, and worked her magic on Eshe's hair, pulling it firmly into a gorgeous braid just like she used to - and she wasn't any more gentle than she used to be either, making sure the hair was taut and neat, tied perfectly.

"There, you look beautiful", Dalila told her, and Eshe was appreciative of her friend's care, but her mouth did not curl into a flattered smile like it once did.

When Eshe was taken to the meal hall, she passed several maids as well was Priestess Isis; everybody regarded her with genuine, encouraging smiles, but Eshe could not hold eye contact with them, a deep feeling of shame eating her up inside from her isolating behaviour of the last few weeks.

She did not eat much, but she ate enough. With Dalila's encouragement, she managed to consume a bread roll and a piece of fruit, nothing more. The sandy-haired girl tried her best to uplift the queen, letting her know that she was proud of such small achievements, and Eshe valued the motivation.

With a slightly satisfied stomach, Eshe allowed herself to be led to the courtyard; the sight of the water fountain put a falter in her step, a barely-there lump growing in her throat as memories flashed through her mind. The times she spent sitting at the fountain with Atem were ever fresh in her brain, the sound of his beautiful laugh, the way he used to shyly look away when Eshe made him smile. It took a while, but Dalila convinced her to step out into the courtyard and take a seat by the fountain.

When Dalila suggested they take the short walk through the archway to the gardens, Eshe outright refused. It was far too painful to go there.

Eshe had to admit, the air felt good to breathe and the sun felt wonderful on her skin; the necklace hanging at her breast glinted, reflecting the rays against the surrounding stone walls. Eshe followed the mirror light with her eyes idly, her gaze flicking back and forth in a mesmerised sort of way - having something to concentrate on made it easier to clear her mind of dreading thoughts.

Something moved out of the corner of her vision.

She looked up and saw Atsu rounding the corner of the courtyard entrance, a lotus flower cupped in his hand and a strange smile on his face.

Eshe stood immediately, turning to stride purposefully in the opposite direction as Dalila's brother stepped into the area; the queen heard the sandy-haired girl make a noise of confusion, before she noticed her brother's presence and her concerned protests turned into angry snaps towards Atsu.

Before Eshe left, she caught Dalila's exclamation about making progress, and over her shoulder she saw infuriated expression on Atsu's face; the queen could not face anyone but Dalila at the present time, merely the thought of entertaining Atsu and his attempt at a flower trick was utterly draining.

When Eshe returned to her room, she found that her bedsheets had been replaced, and the scent of Atem no longer lingered all around her; she felt as though her heart had been ripped from her body. Dalila insisted she knew nothing about it, that she had not been put up to their little outing by Priest Seto in a ploy to allow the maids to do their job, but the nagging feeling of betrayal still burrowed through her mind.

Eshe did not sleep well that night.

* * *

Dalila visited Eshe several times the following week; she didn't try to persuade the queen to spend time outside, but she did take the time to talk. The sandy-haired girl was quite the chatterbox, and informed Eshe of the latest gossip around the palace, one subject of which revolved around a supposed intruder lurking around near the priest quarters. Eshe's interest was piqued, and Dalila relayed to her the few apparent sightings from maids passing through the halls, claiming to have seen a shady figure ducking around corners and that when Priest Seto had been informed of this fact, he'd declared that guard patrols were to increase five-fold.

The news had unsettled Eshe, and her discomfort had been obvious on her face.

"You don't have to worry", Dalila told her softly, a kind smile on her face, "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

The simple promise, so much like Atem's, had brought tears to Eshe's eyes.

* * *

When Prince Nizam came to the palace to offer his condolences and respect, he sat on the edge of Eshe's bed, a large hand on his daughter's shoulder as he tried to bring comfort with his words.

"The loss of a loved one is hard, but you learn to cope, my child", Nizam told her, but Eshe spent a large portion of his sympathy speech pressing her head into her pillow, "It will become easier, but for now you have to try harder to take care of yourself."

His words did not seem to pierce her shell of depression, so he went on to tell her of his personal experiences with grief after the death of someone close, "Believe me, Eshe, I know how you feel. I know you want to seclude yourself away from others and not let them in- it's natural after what you've experienced, it's your mind's way of trying to stop you from ever facing such turmoil again by not letting anyone become as close as Atem was to you. But you need to fight it. When your mother died-"

"Please stop." Eshe's voice was flat and void of emotion; she did not want to hear of her father's struggles following the death of her mother, the thought only brought her more pain.

Nizam fell silent for a while, before solemnly telling his daughter, "Eshe, I am always here for you. You are not alone in this world, and Atem would not want you to live this way."

"Go." This time, there was an edge of desperation in her voice, and reluctantly, Nizam abided her wishes, padding quietly out of the room.

* * *

Consumed by the guilt that germinated from the simple idea that Eshe had become too big a burden for those around her, the young queen approached her balcony one day with the thought that her troubles were insurmountable; she had laid in bed a majority of the five weeks it had been since Atem's passing, immersed in despair - she had been no help to anyone. She had tried her best and put in her utmost effort some days to be who she once was _before_ , but it had never lasted, and she had not improved, and in her mind it equated to one thing: that she _never_ would improve.

And if she would never improve, what was the point in a life of misery?

She would be a lot less of a liability if she was dead.

When the cool night air hit her skin as she stepped through the flowing curtains onto the balcony, the guilt doubled and crumbled down upon her mind, powering her steps and her suicidal notion. In just a few moments, a couple of small birds swooped across and perched on the partition before her, tilting their tiny heads curiously, singing soft avian melodies.

When it became apparent what her intentions were, as she carefully climbed over the partition and rested ambivalently, staring down at the sheer drop before her, the birds became hectic, beating their little wings, chirping frantically to warn her away.

Her necklace seemed to pulse against her chest, sending waves of warmth throughout her body as a comfort, as if the piece of jewellery was aware of the immediate danger she had put herself in.

It was only by chance that Seto called in, and not a moment too late.

"Step down, my queen. Please."

Eshe noticed how he had not referred to her by name, as he had done so scathingly when he accused her of acting like a petulant child.

Her thoughts oscillated between whether or not she should just end it all, the birds fluttered pleadingly around her head, begging her not to jump, and Eshe remembered the words her mother had so often told her when she was a child. Sabiya had frequently spoken of her desire to fly just like a bird, and Eshe realised, as she stood before the drop, the appeal of such a concept.

"Do you think if I were to jump, that I would sprout wings and fly away like a bird?" Eshe knew she probably sounded delirious to the priest, as far from her right mind as she could possibly be.

When Seto brought up Atem and what he would think if he could see Eshe now, Eshe shot back with hopelessness, "Does it matter? I'll never see him again."

"So that's it? You're going to take the easy way out like a selfish coward. Do you know why he fell in love with you? Because you were strong, kind, and you gave him courage. Look at you now, you're pathetic."

His words, as icy and unfeeling as they sounded, were exactly what Eshe needed to open her eyes; she may have felt like a part of her was missing, but it was not so. The queen was not missing a vital part of herself - she was whole and she was human. She was allowed to feel the heartbreak that came to her, but she had to fight through it and _survive_.

The ability to live was ripped cruelly from Atem so that Eshe could experience the rest of her life. She would not throw that away.

* * *

For a month, Eshe strived to live.

She began a routine. Every morning she got out of bed by herself, walked to the meal hall and ate what she could; she made an effort to attend at least one meeting per day so that she could be briefed with Priest Seto on any issues regarding the safety of citizens and the updates on rebuilding homes. In her free time, she went to the archive to read - it passed the time and distracted her from negative thoughts; she made sure to bathe every day and endured frequent visits to the healer for advice on methods to help herself sleep peacefully.

For a month, it seemed that there was a chance for Eshe's heart to heal.

And then Dalila pressed her to visit the garden.

It was late afternoon when Dalila had suggested it, her reasoning was that Eshe had made such brilliant progress, and it was the next big step in coping. Eshe had avoided the gardens for nine weeks, the thought of visiting the place she almost solely spent time with Atem was harrowing, because she would have to be there without him.

Dalila had convinced her, and his dreaded hesitance, she had stepped through the arch and into the garden; the initial wave of emotions the passed through her was manageable, as she scanned her favourite spot and took in the sight and the sounds she had missed so dearly. With a slight surge of confidence, Eshe had taken a bold step towards the pond in order to reclaim her usual place; Dalila had sat beside her, smiling encouragingly, telling her words of assurance.

It had only taken five minutes.

A breeze had picked up, and carried with it the scent of chrysanthemums nesting in the nearby brush, an herb-like, earthy smell that triggered the strong memory of Atem giggling almost endlessly. Eshe could not remember why he was giggling, but the beautiful sight, the stunning sound and the faint smell of chrysanthemums hit her like a ton of bricks.

Eshe realised, with gut-punching guilt, that she had gone about most the day without the thought of her deceased husband passing through her mind, as if she had forgotten him completely. It was terrifying, to think that a day could've passed without Atem occupying her thoughts, because he was doomed to be forgotten in history as time rolled on. It was her duty to remember him while she could, and for a time, it was as if she had failed to do so.

Almost paralysed with the unimaginable pain of heartache imbuing her chest, Eshe struggled to breathe, her vision blurry from floods of tears; Dalila had panicked, calling for help as the queen convulsed in anguish stronger than she had ever felt.

Dalila had returned her to her room immediately, delivering a sleeping draught prescribed by the healer, "Eshe, if you drink this, you'll be able to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up, okay?" the sandy-haired girl had told her as she gently pushed the queen down onto the bed.

Eshe was still wracked with uncontrollable emotion, sobbing and hacking with each frantic breath; Dalila handed her the vial and instructed her to drink it all, and Eshe had done so, wishing to escape her distress, if only for a night.

The liquid made her sluggish and addled, she let out vague murmurs that were less than coherent as Dalila helped her change into a night gown and laid her down on the bed, pulling the blanket up to cover her warmly.

Eshe was far too drowsy and detached to comprehend or protest when Dalila unclasped the necklace from around her neck, nor did she catch the words that left her mouth before falling into unconsciousness.

"My brother is probably right about this necklace- it's keeping you down, reminding you that he's gone every time you look at it. It's probably best that you part with it, just for a while."

* * *

Eshe awoke in the middle of the night, still heavy-eyed and groggy from the sleeping draught she had been given; with only faint awareness, she shifted out of bed and made her way to the balcony where a guard stood watch - she was not allowed out there by herself anymore, just in case - and she looked out across the night while a deep sense of sorrow filled her mind.

The air was surprisingly warm, but if did nothing to bring her comfort from the loneliness she felt; something suddenly felt as though it was missing, but she couldn't put her finger on it, too out of it to really be alert of anything on or around her.

Soft, flickering firelight cast a familiar silhouette against the stone walls, and Eshe frowned, not having realised when someone else followed her onto the balcony and dismissed the guard.

"Your majesty", a soft voice spoke, and even in her lethargic state, she recognised the voice immediately.

"What do you want?" Eshe's voice was barely above a whisper in response to the other person.

"I had hoped I might be able to help you cheer up?" the voice was hesitant, unsure, and Eshe laughed bitterly, a mere huff leaving her mouth in sarcastic amusement.

"Cheer up? Happiness feels like a lifetime away", the queen spoke, her voice was a little sharper as the fuzziness around her vision began to clear.

"I understand, your majesty, but I must try…"

Eshe breathed a deep sigh, knowing what was coming. She would only entertain this absurd display _one last time_.

"...Very well."

Eshe turned slowly, her eyes landing on the sandy hair and bright green eyes of Atsu; the boy smiled a little too enthusiastically, stepping forward with a lotus flower in his hand. If Eshe was only a touch more perceptive at that point, she may have caught the subtle pernicious lilt to his next words.

"It'll definitely work this time, my queen, I assure you."

Needless to say, Eshe wasn't expecting much.

He placed the lotus flower strategically in her awaiting hands - he had tried too many times for her not to know the deal by now - and positioned himself aptly before her; Atsu flexed his fingers and Eshe's gaze fell upon the soft, pinkish petals of the bloom as the boy's hands hovered above her's.

Atsu began to incant his spell, his words articulate and clear, no stutter or mumbling as he had done a few times in the past; she knew not what he spoke, for the language was unknown to Eshe's ears.

A soft glow emanated from his hands, and Eshe's gaze flickered up to his face, where she saw that his eyes were set on her's, not the flower; in a moment of discomfort, she dropped her eyes to the flower again, a sudden feeling of unease overtaking her.

Eshe felt a tingle flood through her hands and up her arms, the muscles below her skin growing taut, she grit her teeth in confusion and her breathing sped up a little.

She noticed the malicious smile on Atsu's face a little too late.

He finished the incantation, and the lotus flower slipped from Eshe's hands, fluttering to the floor as her arms fell limp at her sides.

Fear rushed through Eshe; she couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she had lost control of her body, and the deep, quiet chuckle of Atsu's voice came all too clear in her ears, "At last… after all this time… that damn necklace can't protect you now."

 _Oh Gods, my necklace… where is my necklace!?_

Eshe wanted to scream for help, she wanted to push Atsu away from her and run as fast as she could, but she could not. She felt like panicking, but her heart rate remained steady and resting; not even her neutral, vacant expression betrayed the sheer terror she experienced in her mind.

She had zero control over her body, trapped within her own mind.

Forced to watch Atsu smile in malevolent victory, "That's right, Eshe, I've been trying to perfect this spell since the very first time I tried this trick. That _fool,_ Rura, was always hovering over my shoulder, watching my every move, but he's not here to stop me now, and now that your necklace isn't here to block my dark magic anymore, I can put my full plan into action", he snickered again, his eyes shining with a happiness that made Eshe feel sick.

"You're under my control now, Eshe", he whispered, "and you're going to do everything I say."

Eshe could only stare at him, her mind screaming, as he ordered her to go to bed and sleep the rest of the night.

Without even a moment's hesitation, she did as she was told.

* * *

It was traumatic. Her body worked through the days without her consent, and she was left silent and suffering with no way to inform anyone that she was trapped within her own mind - that her actions were not her own. Nobody seemed to question her periods of fugue state, passing it off as symptoms of her grief, and no one realised that anything was off with her, and it made her want to scream.

But she couldn't scream.

The day of Atem's funeral came, and she attended the ceremony as she was expected to under Atsu's string-pulling; she stared at the beautifully decorated sarcophagus that housed Atem's mummified body, and just… stared.

Her expression held nothing, her eyes were blank.

Seto noticed, peering at her out of the corner of his eyes, a knit in his eyebrows at her highly abnormal behaviour; he had expected her to cry, obviously, and she was. She was crying. On the inside.

Seto didn't press, but he should've, because he may have deduced that something was very, very wrong.

* * *

Atsu came to Eshe outside of her chambers one day, putting on an act that fooled all the surrounding guards; he looked concerned as he rounded the corner at speed, quickly calling out to the queen as she headed blankly towards her room.

"My queen! I saw someone headed into Mahad's chambers just a few moments ago!" Atsu exclaimed with false worry, "His chambers are still off-limits! I don't know who it could be!"

Against her will, her body had reacted without her consent, speaking the exact words and displaying the exact emotions Atsu had placed inside her mind, she faced Asim and the guards in proximity, "Accompany me to Mahad's chambers. We will apprehend this intruder once and for all."

She had stormed into Mahad's room before her guards could act, and they scrambled around to protect her, but she filtered through them without fear; as she entered the conjoined room and caught sight of Rura clutching a few books, Eshe realised where Atsu's plan was headed.

He meant to get Rura out of the picture by framing him for a crime he did not commit.

She was unable to hold back the words that left her mouth with such animosity, sentencing the innocent magician on the spot life imprisonment - or maybe worse. Rura tried to reason with Asim, attempting to point out that his sentence was unfair, but the guard merely shut him down.

Eshe stared at Rura, and in her mind she begged him for forgiveness, but no such luck came about.

The innocent magician turned his steel gaze on the queen, his eyes looking straight through her, and Eshe knew, with a spark of hope, that his next words were not aimed at her.

"You will not get away with this injustice…"

Rura was escorted out of the room, and Eshe's body stepped forwards, picking up the books the innocent magician had placed down; alone in the room, she scanned the titles.

' _Manipulating Minds, A Guide to Darker Magic_ '

Eshe's eyes flickered to the other book, which appeared to be a tome on reincarnation; she opened the book under Atsu's instruction and read the words on the page.

' _Birth, Life, Death, Rebirth: Influencing the reincarnation cycle_ ', the writing was neat and the pages were aged, the clear imprints of fingers on the dusty book indicated that before Rura had picked it up, it had not been touched for a long time, unlike the other tome.

The sound of footsteps signalled that one of the guards was approaching from the conjoined room, and a sharp voice echoed in her mind.

 _Rip the page out, Eshe._

She tore out the page hastily, rolling the paper with ease before hiding it amongst her robes and closed the book; one of the guards returned, informing her that Rura was to be dealt with, and Eshe nodded her head in acknowledgement.

She shoved the restricted tomes back into their hidden compartments.

* * *

A week passed, and Dalila continued to come to her often; Eshe hastily concluded that the sandy-haired girl was not in on her brother's terrible scheme, as she continued to talk to the queen as if nothing was amiss, and Atsu continued to work the strings, painting her a false charade of high spirits.

Until one day, Eshe returned to her chambers, her legs moving for her, and entered the room to find Atsu waiting for her; it was a worrying thought that the guards would've let him in before Eshe was even there, either Atsu was very persuasive or he'd entered some other way, and the guards were not aware of his presence.

Too bad Eshe could not open her mouth to scream for help, especially when Atsu smiled predatorily at her and two frightening words left his mouth, "It's time."

 _It's time? Time for what?_

Eshe doubted she was going to be freed from her hellish situation, it could only be something bad - she feared what the boy was planning, but there was nothing she could do. She was hopeless, and all she could do was watch. In her mind, she was smothered with guilt. Atem had died for everyone, including her - he had sacrificed his own life so that she could live, but this was no life to live.

"You're going to help me complete a ritual, _my queen_ ", Atsu told her, "We're just waiting for Dalila now", he smirked, "She doesn't realise exactly what my plans entail, she simply offered to help me on the promise that she could have a life with you all to herself."

If Eshe had control of her facial muscles, her eyes would've twitched in lack of understanding, but Atsu laughed anyway, as if reading her reeling thoughts of confusion, "Dalila is just another pawn in my master plan", his green eyes flashed darkly, "She's all too willing to part with this life if it means you'll be her's in another."

He paused as he looked up and stared into Eshe's vacant face, "She loves you, you know? More than anything. She always hated Atem for demanding your affections…" he straightened up, pulling out of his robes the piece of paper Eshe had torn from the tome, "Jealousy is such a disease."

 _Well you'd know all about that_ , Eshe wanted to respond as scathingly as she could.

Atsu unrolled the paper, his eyes scanning the instructions briefly, before speaking idly to the queen, "You were never originally going to be my victim, you know. I was just practising the spell on you, I could never perfect it until now. But after all the events that led up to the pharaoh's demise, I had to modify my plans a little." He turned his wicked gaze on Eshe, "Nobody can stop me now. I'll become the most powerful magician the world has ever seen… even if it takes a few thousand years."

 _You won't get away with this, you won't!_

Regardless of how loud Eshe screamed in her mind, her cries did not pass her mouth, and Atsu smirked in amusement, clearly aware of Eshe's inner struggle, "No one can save you- not Rura", his smile turned disgustingly wide, "I've dealt with him… put him somewhere no one will ever find him."

The innocent magician was doomed to suffer as well, and Eshe couldn't help but think it was partially her own fault.

"And Atem can't save you either", Atsu told her; pain flushed through Eshe's body at the mention of her beloved, "You didn't know, did you? Just how valuable your necklace was?"

 _What are you talking about?_

"You truly didn't know?" Atsu bit his lip as he laughed softly, "I heard Mahad telling Rura about it once, they didn't know I was listening. Atem implanted a fraction of his life-energy into that necklace - a piece of his soul was to reside within, protecting you from dark magic for as long as you wore it. It can't do much for you now."

 _No…_

All this time, Atem had been protecting her, even from beyond the grave. His last words made so much sense to her now; if only she had been prudent and not allowed her senses to be dulled.

"That's what gave me the idea for phase two of my plan", Atsu explained, "Your necklace contains part of the most powerful soul in the world… with a little moderation, I can build on it's power and wield it… and I'll be recognised as the great and powerful magician I've always wanted to be. My spell will take a long time to mature, but that's okay, because I've got everything figured out. The world won't stand a chance against me."

Eshe couldn't let him get away with this; she had to stop him, she had to make Atem's sacrifice mean something. Surely the Gods would not let such things happen - why did Atem have to die for the world if it was doomed to fall helplessly into Atsu's grasp?

"Of course, I needed Dalila's help, otherwise I would be unable to track the necklace's progress over the years", he continued to explain, "You're both going to take your own lives to power my enchantment on the necklace, two willing suicides for the cause, and the reincarnation spell will bring you back when my spell reaches completion", his spine-chilling grin was less than attractive, "And you'll be able to watch me conquer the world."

Eshe wanted to scream and curse, panic curdling in her mind, Atsu was no better than Bakura or Zorc - he was a fiend, and he always had been.

And she had never seen through his false smiles and faux playfulness as a child; he'd been planning for a long, long time.

A knock sounded at the door, and Dalila entered the room, her face naive and nervous as she closed the door behind her.

"Bring it to me", Atsu told her, reaching out his hand, and Dalila wordlessly stepped forward, placing Eshe's necklace into his hand.

Atsu produced a sacrificial dagger from his robes, holding it out to Dalila, who stared at it with a hint of fear.

Eshe had one final chance; if she could break through Atsu's control and somehow tell Dalila that she wanted none of this, then maybe there was hope that she could put a stop to the boy's terrible scheme.

"Eshe… are you sure this is what you want?" Dalila asked, turning to Eshe, and even as the queen tried desperately to say _no_ , Atsu made her say _yes._

Dalila couldn't tell that Eshe's confirmation was not her own, "We'll be together in the future… we'll be happy", the sandy-haired girl promised, before regarding Atsu with a curious expression, "She will remember me, right?"

"She will not", Atsu told his sister, "It is very important that she does not remember."

"...But, you said-"

Before Dalila could argue, Atsu cut her off a little harshly, his impatience on full display, "She will not remember. It is up to you to find her and befriend her again", the boy told her, a disinterested air about him - he couldn't care less for his sister's venture, he was only interested in power.

"...Okay, fine." Dalila looked down at the dagger, "Is it ready?"

"Yes, I just need to incant the spell, and then you can perform the sacrifice."

Dalila swallowed, holding the dagger in both hands, she nodded with every bit of confidence she had.

Atsu held out the necklace, which raised from his palm and began to float in mid-air, and as it did, unusual words fell from his lips, words from a language Eshe was once again unfamiliar with.

 _No, Dalila… don't do it_.

Eshe could do nothing but watch as her manipulated friend poised the dagger at her own chest.

 _Please, Dalila… stop this… I don't want this… someone help, help me._

The floating necklace began to pulse, and Atsu nodded to Dalila; not a moment later, the sandy-haired girl drove the blade deep into her chest.

 _No… Dalila…_

Her body hit the floor, her face frozen in a pained expression.

She was dead.

 _No…_

There was no hope for Eshe anymore.

"The spell has taken form", Atsu spoke, his eyes resting on the levitating necklace, "For the next few thousand years, the necklace will draw in negative energy and power from all those around… I must detach it's association to you… can't have anyone realising who it belongs to", he laughed again, waving his hand, and Eshe saw as the necklace rotated in mid-air, her engraved name disappeared from the gold casing of the lapis carving.

"I'll take this far away from you, drop it in a peasant's grave so it won't be unearthed by tomb robbers, and then I'll disappear from this world for a long time."

Atsu's cryptic words made no sense to her distressed mind, all Eshe could think about was how she had failed to live for Atem, and that Seto was going to find her body and think that she gave up after all.

Trapped in the Millennium Puzzle forever, Atem would never know what became of Eshe; she too would be forgotten by those she loved.

"It's time, Eshe", Atsu's voice rung through her tormented mind, and he held out the blood-covered sacrificial dagger for her to take.

Without her consent, her hands took the blade, holding it tightly within her palms, and she held it up to her chest, poised to stab.

At that moment, a black blur swooped in from the balcony, disturbing the still curtains, and Eshe identified the shape as her beloved crow, the final gift of Atem's that remained by her side in a moment of peril. Sabiya cawed, circling Atsu with lightning fast movements, and the depraved magician gave a noise of distaste, swiping the bird with his hands.

Hope flared up once more in Eshe's mind; Sabiya was such a smart bird, and perhaps the queen's only chance at living another day.

Eshe's hope was short lived, as the bird succeeded in inconveniencing Atsu for just a few moments, before a hushed incantation left the magician's mouth, and with a gesture of his hand, a wave of blackness passed through the air, surrounding and consuming Sabiya.

With one final, weak squall, Sabiya plummeted to the ground, feathers falling down around her, and she too was left lifeless.

 _No…_

"Stupid fucking bird", Atsu hissed, turning his malevolent gaze on Eshe, "I never did like crows."

Everyone Eshe loved was gone.

"It's your turn, Eshe", Atsu spoke, his hand motioning towards the dagger in the queen's grasp, "Do it."

Eshe's gaze fell to the dagger, she tried with all her might to resist Atsu's control, but the spells were far too strong for her frail, damaged mind to withstand; in her last moments, she prayed to the Gods not to let Atsu succeed, she prayed that the innocent people she knew would live long and happy lives, and she prayed that if it were at all possible, Atem would somehow be granted the eternal rest he deserved.

She plunged the dagger into her heart.

* * *

 **Notes: I would be lying if I said I didn't tear up about fifty times during this chapter. I'm really excited for the next chapter! I'm thinking there's going to be three more chapters plus an epilogue. I'm so excited to complete this story but at the same time I'm sad it's going to be over. There will, however, be a little announcement in the epilogue chapter explaining what I'm going to be working on after this - here's a little hint, the stories of Atem and Eshe aren't going to be over ;)**


	33. Eventually Everyone Runs Out Of Time

Transcending Time

Chapter Thirty-Two: Eventually Everyone Runs Out Of Time

Eshe opened her eyes.

Yugi was knelt beside her, his eyebrows knitted in concern while his gaze was drawn across the room to something outside of Eshe's vision; she groaned from the dull throbbing in her skull, figuring it was still a side effect of the nasty head-bump she had received from Atsu a while before. The sound of her discomfort attracted Yugi's attention, and he looked down in surprise, relief now evident in his big, amethyst eyes.

"Eshe, you're awake! Are you okay?" he inquired almost frenetically, placing a helpful hand on her back as she moved to sit up.

Eshe frowned, rubbing the disorientation out of her eyes; they were still in the room where they'd found the necklace, though Rura was nowhere to be seen at that particular moment. Confusion bubbled in Eshe's mind for a few moments as she idly nodded her head in response to Yugi's question, and her eyes fell to the item clutched in her hand.

Her palm ached, like the muscles had been tense for too long, and her fingers formed a vice-like grip around her necklace; Eshe relaxed her grip a little, rubbing her thumb gently against the lapis carving of the crow set in gold, the precious gift her lover had given her so many years ago.

Eshe's name, carved with hieroglyphics, glinted assuredly around the top of the pendant where it hadn't before - the spell Atsu placed on the piece of jewellery had been shattered with the return of her memories.

She remembered everything.

"We need to find Atem." Her voice was fraught with determination and heavy emotion, her tone was not to be trifled with, and her eyebrows were drawn together in badly restrained anger, "-and we need to stop Atsu." She released an audible breath through her nose and Yugi blinked at her in surprise.

"Eshe, you've been out for a while, you- the necklace-" he paused to raise a curious eyebrow at the object in question, "We thought it overpowered you. We tried taking it from you but you just wouldn't let go of it… are you sure you're okay?"

Eshe's eyes were somewhat distant, "Yugi… I remember."

Yugi stared at her for a moment, not quite comprehending what she was telling him, so Eshe chose to elaborate.

"My past, I remember it. I remember everything", Eshe told him, and immediately the boy's eyes lit up with glee.

"That's fantastic!" Yugi exclaimed, his voice growing higher-pitched in his excitement, "That's- we did it! We got your memories back! Atem will be so happy-"

"We need to find him!" Eshe interrupted, her eyes shimmering with worried tears, "I'm afraid of what Atsu might be capable of… even without my necklace, he still has the Millennium Puzzle, he's still very dangerous…" she trailed off, turning her head to look around the room, "...where's Rura?"

Yugi looked up to the entrance of the room, "He left with his Spirit Monster to try and find a way out of this labyrinth, he figured the sooner we get out of here, the better. He'll be back once he's found an exit."

Eshe sighed, "We can't just sit around… _we need to find Atem_ ", she repeated, her voice breaking as her throat tightened, "...I need to find him…"

"We will, Eshe", Yugi told her, "Wherever he is, I'm sure he's holding his own- he's the strongest person I know", the boy smiled reassuringly, and Eshe managed a small, somewhat forced smile in return, wholly appreciative of his optimism.

"I know, Yugi."

Atem was the strongest person Eshe knew too; he had overcome so much both in life and in death, and even made a deal with a God to find her again - Eshe had no doubt that Atem would stand victorious against the likes of Atsu, but more than anything in that moment, she wanted to be by his side again. The heartache from her past had returned even stronger than before; for the past three months she had been with him, and now she felt as though she had taken that time for granted, not truly _knowing_ how much she missed him until now. She couldn't spend another moment away from him.

"He sacrificed so much for me", Eshe gazed down at the necklace, "I don't want him to suffer anymore, ever again." She raised the jewellery, placing the chain around her neck, allowing the pendant to rest against her chest.

To wear the necklace again was exhilarating, and she could feel the presence of Atem's soul fraction buzzing within, an invisible energy ready to repel any dark magic that dared to try and ensnare her.

A noise startled both Eshe and Yugi, and they turned quickly to the entrance of the room, relief flooding them at the sight of Rura, who regarded Eshe with a slightly wide-eyed neutral expression that she interpreted as pleasant surprise, "You're awake", the magician stated with eased concern, his Spirit Monster hovering loyally behind him, "How are you feeling, my queen?"

Eshe smiled slightly, moving to push herself to her feet with only a slight stumble, "I feel like… me." The sensation that came with the realisation that she still felt like herself since her memories had returned was alleviating, "I feel more like me than I've ever felt before", she laughed, a slight deliriousness to her tone.

Yugi smiled sheepishly, regarding Eshe with a raised eyebrow, "I think your brain's still trying to catch up with all your memories."

Rura eyes widened minutely, "Then you remember…?"

Eshe nodded, "I remember", she answered him, before her ecstatic expression faltered, "I remember what Atsu did to me… and Dalila… and you", she frowned, her face growing serious, "He mustn't get away with this."

"He won't", Rura assured her with a dip of his head, "I will do whatever it takes to stop him."

Eshe gave him a strained, grateful smile, "Rura, did you find a way out of here?"

Rura's gaze flickered to Yugi and then to the Lavalliere around Eshe's neck, "I believe so… however, if we bring that necklace with us, it might not be long before Atsu realises it's missing."

Eshe's face wrinkled slightly, her eyebrows drawing together, "Whatever spell Atsu put on my necklace is gone, I'm sure of it. The dark magic tried to corrupt the piece of Atem's soul that resides within, but I don't sense any evil inside it now… so this necklace is staying with me."

Rura hummed softly, "If what you say is true, then the power inside the necklace no longer answers to Atsu. Given that he hasn't shown up, I assume he hasn't sensed the severed connection… which is a good thing, we could use that to our advantage somehow. But if he were to check back here and see that the necklace is missing, well, he might form a plan of attack before we're ready to counter it."

Eshe glanced back at Yugi who sighed and shook his head, unsure of the best course of action; she gave a soft 'hmm', before her eyes fell upon Yugi's backpack that was still slung over his shoulders, and her gaze widened somewhat.

"...I think I have an idea."

* * *

Téa had gotten her hopes up upon reuniting with Joey and Mokuba; she had been trapped in an endless hallway for what felt like hours, and probably _was_ hours, that she had practically jumped for joy at the sight of the two familiar faces. It had jumpstarted her high-spirited optimism that had _almost_ begun to dwindle amongst the repetitive, bland passageways she had run through, and she'd reached the conclusion that finding Joey and Mokuba meant finding a way out of the strange world they'd been thrust into.

Her conclusion had been wrong.

They were all very much lost, and it didn't seem like there was an exit in sight.

Téa had sighed as she followed Joey and Mokuba, who walked as aimlessly as they had been for hours, occasionally pausing to suggest a new direction or squabble about something silly. It had driven Téa up the wall and she'd done her best to drown out the bickering.

It was around half an hour later that the monster turned up.

The trio had jumped back in fright at the sight of movement through the trees, and then a beastly monster had charged towards them - it took the form of a fiery, duo-headed mix between a lion and a centaur, at least that was as best as Téa could have described it as the monster came at them with an aggressive roar.

Joey had grabbed Mokuba, flinging him out the way as he dived out of the beast's path, while Téa darted sideways, narrowly avoiding its flaming hooves.

" _Well this is new!_ " Joey cried as he took a few apprehensive steps back, staring as the beast slowed to a stop and turned around, facing them again, "Uh oh…"

"Guys, I think we should run", Téa advised with clear panic in her voice while Mokuba scrambled to his feet.

"I think running is a great idea!" the younger boy squeaked, immediately taking off away from the beast.

Joey and Téa followed suite, sprinting after Mokuba with one task in mind: to get the hell away from the monster that was galloping after them.

It was far larger and far quicker than any of them, catching up in no time with its vigorous pace; Joey made the mistake of peeking quickly over his shoulder and realised it was practically on his tail. The blond let out a fearful shriek, slamming his feet down as he tried to run faster.

"Split up!" Mokuba yelled, trailing off in a different direction; Téa followed the younger boy's advice while Joey continued a hard run ahead for a few moments before diving and rolling across the floor out of the stampeding monster's way.

"Are you alright, Joey?" Téa called, breathing hard as she recovered from her harsh sprint, and Joey quickly pulled himself up, his lungs burning as he rushed to hide behind a nearby tree, hiding from the beast that had maintained its charge long enough for Mokuba and Téa to rejoin the blond.

"What are we gonna do?" Téa gasped, "That thing is like five times the size of us! It's a miracle we've managed to outrun it so far!"

Mokuba heaved a breath, peering around the edge of the tree; the beast was searching for them but it seemed as though they were safe, for the moment.

"Hey, do you guys think that thing looked kinda familiar?" Joey inquired, scratching his chin as he rifled through his memories to try and pinpoint where he'd seen it before.

"Who cares? If we don't figure out something soon, it's gonna eat us!" Mokuba cried, biting his lip, "-then I'd never see my brother again!"

"Don't cry, Mokuba, we'll figure something out", Joey told him, closing his eyes as he resumed trying to figure out where he had encountered the beast before.

"I'm not crying!" Mokuba snapped, his infuriated gaze on the blond; Téa groaned as the boys' unnecessary teasing recommenced even in the face of danger.

"You two need to sort yourselves out so we can come up with a plan to get out of here!" Téa hissed, her harsh tone dulled in volume with the desire not to be discovered by the monster nearby.

" _I've got it!_ " Joey cried suddenly, "It's the _Twinheaded Beast_ from Duel Monsters!"

As soon as the exclamation left the blond's mouth, the harrowing roar of the beast came from the other side of the tree, and a fiery blast slammed into the trunk that all three of them had their backs to, sending them flying across the ground in a rough heap.

Joey groaned as he pushed himself up by his elbow, quickly checking that the other two were okay, before he noticed his deck had flown from its holder and spread his beloved cards across the ground, "Aw crap!" he grunted, and his eyes landed on a card still whisping through the air, riding the wind resistance down to land squarely in his lap.

"Huh?" he picked it up, identifying it as the monster card _Gearfried The Iron Knight_.

"Joey, look out!" Mokuba's voice sounded, and the blond looked up, realising the _Twinheaded Beast_ was about to fire another flaming blast right at him; Joey yelped, reflexively bringing his arm up to cover his face.

That was when the card in his hand began to shine; a bright, beaming light propelling forth, forming a white energy that took the shape of Joey's duel monster, immediately shielding him from further harm.

"Whoa, what the-!" Joey yelled as he watched _Gearfried_ charge at the _Twinheaded Beast_ , swiping the enemy with the sharp blade on his forearm and bringing the monster to a swift end. The foe monster shattered in an explosion of light and _Gearfried_ faced the blond, awaiting further orders.

"Th-that's _Gearfried_!" Téa exclaimed, "You summoned him!?" She jogged towards Joey who was still trying to push himself to his feet, and Mokuba joined them, looking upon the duel monster with amazement.

"I, uh, I'm not sure how I summoned him- I mean, this ain't a duel, right?" Joey mumbled in confusion as he looked upon his monster, he glanced at his left arm, "I don't have a duel disk on me so I'm not entirely sure how this fella's here", he spoke, blinking his wide eyes.

"Maybe it's this place. I mean, we've seen crazier things, right?" Téa offered, "Too bad I don't have my deck with me…"

"I don't have a deck with me either, but I wish I did", Mokuba grumbled with a pout, still looking up at _Gearfried_ with a great deal of wonder in his eyes, "This is cool…"

"Hey, uh, are you okay, Joey?" Téa inquired, watching the blond take audible breaths as he stood up.

"Yeah, just feeling a little tired all of a sudden", Joey answered, looking down at his card, and then back up at the monster, "Maybe this is sapping my energy, like in a shadow game or somethin'."

Téa hummed, "Maybe you should dismiss him?"

Joey gave her a look as if to say 'how do I do that?', before he turned back to his monster and rubbed the back of his neck, "Uhhhh, thanks for the help buddy… you can go now?"

 _Gearfried_ acknowledged Joey's words, nodding his head before he too dispersed in a burst of light, the leftover energy flowing back into the card Joey was holding; he perked up a little just moments later, "Huh, I guess that was it, I'm feeling better already."

There was a pause as the trio shared looks, and then a wide grin surfaced on Joey's face, "Heck yeah! I can summon duel monsters!"

Mokuba rolled his eyes, "Yeah, at the price of your own energy, apparently, so don't go bringing out your Red Eyes just to show off."

"What, you mean like your brother does with his Blue Eyes?" Joey shot back, a teasing smirk on his face.

"Ugh", Mokuba grunted, "Come on, let's just keep going!" the boy threw his hands up in exasperation and Joey snickered, turning to Téa who held an unamused expression on her face.

"Stop winding him up, Joey", Téa mumbled, her face showing that she didn't find his antics the least bit funny, "We need to focus on working together to find a way out of here."

She followed after Mokuba without waiting for a response and Joey pouted as he looked after the both of them, "Why's everyone gotta be so serious?" he pondered his rhetoric for a moment before realising that the other two were leaving without him, and quickly clambered to gather up his scattered cards and broke into a jog after them, "Hey, wait for me!"

He caught up with them in a few long strides, but just as he fell into step behind them, his foot came down on softer ground that seemed to give way under his weight; he had hardly a moment to register what had happened before the ground opened up in a wide circle, swallowing all three up within the earth.

Their cries reverberated throughout the tunnel they fell into, gliding through it like a water-slide, the tube-like passage led them through a winding shaft for a few minutes, the poor kids not letting up on their panicked cries until a light appeared at the end. They fell out of the curving passage and landed in a pile of limbs, which Joey was unfortunate enough to be at the bottom of.

"Gugh… guys… could ya get off me please?" Joey grunted, but a startled voice quickly cut in.

"Mokuba!"

It was the unmistakable sound of a concerned Seto Kaiba. Mokuba jumped up, an almost ecstatic look on his face at the sight of his older brother standing before him, "Seto!" the young boy cried in response, and dashed towards him, flinging his arms around the other boy.

While the Kaiba brothers delighted in their reunion, Joey and Téa untangled themselves, groaning as they rubbed the bruises on their respective bodies.

"Joey! Téa!" came Tristan's voice, "Man, am I glad to see you guys!"

"Tristan!" Joey cried in over-exaggerated joy, "I thought I'd never see you again, buddy!" the blond jumped up, quickly swinging his arm around the brunet's shoulder, pulling him down to rub his knuckles against Tristan's head in an affectionate noogie.

"Ow, cut it out!" Tristan snapped, though there was a smirk tugging at his lips; Téa watched with a smile as Tristan thrust his fingers into Joey's sensitive side, pulling a yelp from the blond, in order to escape the headlock.

Téa shook her head amusedly, glad that their group was slowly reconvening - all they needed to do now was find Yugi, Eshe and Atem, and then they could figure out how to put Atsu in his place. Her eyes turned to the Kaiba brothers, where she spotted Seto's rare, small smile - he was clearly relieved to see Mokuba, and it was obvious to Téa that he'd been worried sick about the younger boy.

"I'm glad you're okay, Mokuba", Seto told his brother quietly, and the younger boy smiled widely, staring up at the other with starry fondness.

Téa glanced away, observing their surroundings; they were trapped in a cell with metal bars holding them in, and no clear exit in sight; she frowned, looking back up at Tristan with a curious expression.

"So how did you guys end up here? Same as us?" Téa inquired, and Tristan nodded his head, side-eyeing Kaiba with an accusatory look.

"Kaiba stepped on a pressure pad, and next thing we knew we were hurtling through the ground and into this room."

Seto's icy glare landed on Tristan, "I think you'll find it was _you_ who stepped on the pressure pad. I would never have been so stupidly careless."

Tristan rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Point is, we're here, and there's no way out as far as we know."

Mokuba stepped towards the metal bars, clutching them with his hands as he pulled on them to test their strength - there was no way they could bend them, the metal was sturdy and thick. He hummed, turning to the others, "Hey, maybe Joey could get us out of here!"

Joey blinked confusedly, "Eh? Me? I'm pretty strong but I don't think I could pull them bars apart-"

Mokuba rolled his eyes, "No, with a duel monster, silly!"

Seto frowned at Mokuba's exclamation, highly doubtful that Joey could be of any help in that moment, "What're you saying, Mokuba?"

The blond grinned, "Oh yeah!" he reached into his pocket, pulling out his deck, "Hmm, let's see, who's it gonna be…"

Seto watched on with skepticism while Tristan blinked confusedly, wondering what on earth Joey was up to.

"Ah-hah! Let's see if _Panther Warrior'_ s strength can break away these steel bars!" Joey spoke with a show-offy grin, " _Panther Warrior_ , come forth!" he raised the card up, waiting for the monster to reveal itself and break them out of their prison.

Except it didn't.

"Uhh, _Panther Warrior_ , you in there?" he looked down at the card, blinking once, "I don't get it, can he not hear me or somethin'?"

"You do realise you're talking to a card, don't you Wheeler? Looks like this place has gotten to your head", the ever-snarky voice of Seto sounded and Joey whipped around to glare at the CEO.

"No, for reals, he summoned a monster and saved us just before we fell in here!" Mokuba exclaimed, and Seto rose an eyebrow at his younger brother, not as quick to write off his words as lies.

"It's true", Téa spoke, scratching her chin, "Maybe they only come if you're in danger?" she suggested, and Joey pouted, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"We're kinda trapped in a cell with no way out… I'd say that constitutes as danger, wouldn't you?"

"Maybe you can't summon them often", Mokuba offered, "You said that you were tired before, didn't you? You might need time to get your energy back."

Joey sighed, "I guess that makes sense…"

"What are you guys _talking_ about?" Tristan input, looking at the others like they'd grown extra heads.

Mokuba ignored the boy's question and turned to his brother, "You have your deck, right Seto?"

"Naturally", the older Kaiba replied, producing his cards, holding them up to show his brother.

"Try and summon one!" Mokuba exclaimed, an excited smile on his face, "Joey did it before, I'm sure you can too!"

Seto still seemed dubious over the matter but began to search his cards for a monster that could provide assistance for their situation.

He picked out a card, "Alright, _Vorse Raider_ , I summon you", the blue-eyed boy held the card up, and his eyes widened as the card began to glow.

"Alright!" Téa exclaimed with a smile, "It's working!"

The bulky monster came forth, letting out a fearsome battle cry before it rush forward, charging the steel bars - the cell busted open immediately, freeing the group, and Seto looked upon the monster in restrained bewilderment, keeping his emotions in check from the others around him.

"Whoa!" Tristan exclaimed, "That's awesome! Makes me wish I'd brought _my_ deck along too!"

Mokuba threw his hands up victoriously, giving an enthusiastic cheer as he grinned at the monster that managed to look smug with his handiwork despite the fact that half of its face was covered with a spiked helmet.

"Awesome, big bro!" he cried, "Come on, let's go!" he pointed down the passageway ahead, "Maybe we'll find the others soon!"

Seto looked up at _Vorse Raider_ with a quirked eyebrow, it wasn't often he saw his own monsters in solid form - but it was something he'd grown desensitised to after hanging around the group of dweebs that for _some_ reason considered him their friend.

"You should probably call it back now", Téa spoke up, "Joey started feeling lethargic after a little while- so conserving your strength will definitely come in handy", the brown-haired girl advised, and Seto smirked complacently.

"I have far more stamina than Wheeler", he bragged, ignoring the grunt of protest from the blond; Téa raised an eyebrow that showed she wasn't gonna take that crap from the CEO.

"Not the time to prove your supposed superiority, Kaiba. If we get attacked by a monster like Mokuba, Joey and I did before and _neither_ of you two are able to summon a monster to protect us all, you're not gonna be smirking then." Téa gave the blue-eyed boy a stern, no-nonsense look and Seto's mouth twitched in annoyance.

"Tch. Fine", Seto grunted, calling _Vorse Raider_ back into the card, he sent a harsh glare at Joey who seemed amused by the rightful scolding the CEO received, and brushed past him after Mokuba as they began to make their way down the passage.

The remaining three all shared a look of mild exasperation, before quickly following after the Kaiba brothers.

* * *

Atem was not amused.

He'd lingered in the throne room of the dark palace for a while now, waiting for a sign that his friends were somewhere close; he was reluctant to leave the grand hall given that it was a very distinguished location - he assumed that if any of his friends caught sight of the large gilded spires atop the black castle, that they would think to head towards it, he could only hope.

But he was beginning to grow antsy, standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed and his foot tapping impatiently against the shiny floor, he was beginning to think that maybe staying put wasn't the best course of action, especially given danger of spawning monsters - his friends could be in trouble right now and they might've been unaware of the ability to summon their own monsters.

He let out a sigh, glancing across the the imposing throne at the end of the room, and then to the series of doors that led to other parts of the unknown palace; he could try a door and see where it led, but there was no discerning whether or not he'd be led right into a trap.

Furthermore, he was growing tired, feeling devoid of energy all of a sudden; he glanced over to _Dark Magician Girl_ who hovered beside him, clutching her wand in both hands, a concerned expression on her face as she peered back at him. Atem had already figured his unanticipated drowsiness was something to do with his summoning capabilities - everything came with a price, like within a shadow game, evoking monsters was not free and required some semblance of life energy in return.

Which meant that Atsu's power couldn't have been endless either, even while in possession of the Millennium Puzzle; he was absolutely defeatable and Atem _was_ going to uncover his weakness, no matter what.

He had to, if he wanted to return to the real world with all of his friends unharmed. He couldn't let Atsu prevail; he would do whatever it took to ensure the safety of those he loved, and the defeat of the evil fiend who stood between him and Eshe.

Eshe…

He hoped she was safe, and not alone.

"Things aren't moving fast enough for my liking."

A voice filled with boredom broke through his reverie, and Atem swung around in time with the _Dark Magician Girl_ to face the iniquitous fiend in question; Atsu sat, slumped lazily against his throne with one leg crossed over the other.

Atem's teeth grinded as he looked upon the man with hatred and the _Dark Magician Girl_ expressed a rare look of loathing towards the corrupt magic-user; Atsu's infuriating smirk made their blood boil.

" _Stop_ playing, Atsu. Where are my friends?" Atem demanded, and the man rolled his eyes, rising from the throne.

"Oh, they're around. I could pinpoint the location of some of them but I must admit, I've no clue where your beloved wife and your closest friend have disappeared to", he chuckled maliciously, "Probably fallen into one of my many traps… not that it matters. You're all gonna end up in the same boat, in the end."

Atem's jaw clenched, "Don't count on it, Atsu. If you harm my friends, you _will_ regret it."

Atsu laughed, "You're really not in a position to be making threats", he snapped his fingers, and before the _Dark Magician Girl_ could react, a spiraling aperture opened up beneath Atem's feet and he fell through with a startled grunt.

The next thing Atem knew, he was back in the warehouse in the world he knew best, he staggered and fell to his hands and knees, realising he could no longer summon monsters to protect himself; not only that, but there was a nauseating feeling rumbling in his stomach - being thrust forcibly through dimensional portals was about as fun as riding roller coasters.

"You're defenseless here, _pharaoh_. It is rather unfortunate that you discovered how to summon duel spirits. I had to change my plans up a little, but it's no big deal." Atsu was standing ahead of him, hands locked behind his back as he looked down upon Atem with haughty disdain.

Atem took a few composing breaths as he eyed the dusty floor, before a smug smile pulled at his lips, and he began to chuckle; the ill-natured magician's mouth pulled up in distaste and he glared down at the laughing boy, "What the fuck is so funny?"

Utterly unshaken under Atsu's detesting gaze, Atem smirked, locking eye contact with the despicable man, "Your actions only prove how much of a spineless coward you are. You have no plans, you're making this up as you go along, and it _shows_."

Atsu let out a petulant growl, teeth gritting together, and his voice boomed as he screamed, "I will _kill_ _your friends_ and _tear your heart from your body_!"

Atem gave a mirthless laugh, challenging the man, "No, you won't."

As the words left his mouth, Atsu raised his hand and a wave of blackness emitted, shooting towards Atem like a bolt of lightning; pain rapidly burst through his veins and immediately he bit down on his tongue to suppress the screech that fought to leave his mouth. The agony that blitzed through him was intense and his body shook under the torment; choked groans leaving his throat as he tried to fight whatever Atsu was doing to him.

" _I'll take control of your mind and make you flay the skin from Eshe's body_ ", Atsu hissed, a psychotic sparkle in his green eyes.

Something dark and intangible tried to force its way into Atem's head, and he focused his mind on pushing it away, erupting walls that couldn't be shattered, the natural resistance of his soul fighting back against whatever magic Atsu was attempting to pierce his barriers with. After just a few moments, Atsu grew impatient and released an enraged shout, dispelling his magic when it became obvious that Atem's soul was far too strong to be manipulated.

Instead, Atsu flicked his wrist, and a magical cage materialised around Atem, who groaned at the residual soreness caused by the invasive sorcery; he breathed heavily, glancing up through the bars surrounding him to find the magician grinding his teeth.

"I will destroy you", Atsu hissed, "I'll lead your friends back here and pick them off one by one."

* * *

Eshe and Yugi followed Rura through the winding, repetitive halls; the _Chaos Command Magician_ had been dismissed for the moment, allowing Rura time to recover his energy on the very likely possibility that they would run into more trouble. It was silent, Rura said nothing, his eyes straight ahead as he trailed the path he had scouted prior; Yugi wordlessly watched Eshe with soft concern, pretending not to notice the way her gaze bored into the floor, the knit in her eyebrows or the way her fists rhythmically clenched every now and again.

There was a lot on Eshe's mind, her teeth were pressed tightly together in her mouth, moving back and forth as she replayed the torturous last weeks of her past life in her head. How could she have allowed such a thing to happen? If she hadn't been so caught up and blind in her grief, she might've found it odd that Atsu had been up to something.

Eshe had always prided herself on her ability to pick up on the unusual behaviour of those around her, she could always figure out when something wasn't right with someone, and yet, she had been too busy ruminating in sorrow that she hadn't thought to open her eyes and check how things were going on in the world that didn't revolve around her.

And so, due to her irresponsibility, the corrupt magician had gotten away with unimaginable misdeeds.

She wanted to see Atsu pay for his crimes.

Eshe could only hope that Priest Seto went on to be a good ruler, and had a long and glorious reign even after suffering through the loss of his friend, Atem, and the apparent suicide of the queen he thought he had persuaded to live.

Then there was the endless remorse she felt for everything Atem had gone through in his life; having abdicated his throne and given up his entire life for the safety of the world, he had been doomed to three thousand years of wandering a dark labyrinth, stripped of his memories, probably suffering with loneliness, starved of human contact.

And then, even after being freed from his entrapment, he'd had to face so many people who had wanted to harm him and his friends; he'd saved the world time and time again, forced to take responsibility for something that _shouldn't_ have fallen to him.

Finally, he'd had to relive the desolation of Bakura, the demonic Zorc and the pain of watching his loyal subjects lose their lives in their attempt to preserve his.

But that wasn't the end of it, Atem had thought his trials were over before he was confronted with the mystery of Eshe's whereabouts; Eshe herself didn't know exactly how Atem had managed to remain composed and calm from the moment he found her again - she wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face and pretend she didn't know him if the roles were flipped, she would've burst into tears at the sight of him and most likely left him traumatised.

Atem had remained the strong person he always was, and he'd made her fall in love with him all over again; her beloved didn't deserve anymore heartbreak.

Eshe drew in an audible, sharper breath as she felt her eyes grow moist with tears; she tried her best to disguise her distress but she knew the moment Yugi's head turned towards her that she hadn't succeeded in that regard, and the attention made it hard to pretend like she wasn't about to burst into sobs.

Either Rura hadn't heard the telltale noise of her welling emotions or he knew to politely not inquire about it; unfortunately, Yugi had the tendency to ask if his friends were alright when they were clearly not.

"Eshe?" Yugi's quiet voice intruded on her thoughts and Eshe quickly diverted her gaze away from him, looking at the rough sandstone wall beside her.

"I'm fine", she stubbornly claimed, and Yugi frowned, his light purple eyes shimmering with worry.

"You wanna talk about it?" Yugi offered sheepishly, and Eshe's shoulders grew tense as she came to a stop, blinking hard as the tears fell down her face.

"Not really", Eshe forced out as Yugi halted his steps as well; _talking about it_ would simply make it impossible to hold back the misery.

But then, her therapist had always told her that keeping her emotions to herself was damaging; Eshe realised Rura had come to a stop ahead, most likely because he could no longer hear their footsteps, and she let out a sigh. She reached up to brush her fingers against the pendant around her neck through the material of her blouse - she had figured for the moment that it'd be smarter to keep the piece of jewellery from sight; she paused briefly at the warm, tingling sensation of comfort that the necklace sent through her fingers, and began to speak.

"The last couple months of my past life were hell", she whispered, face scrunched up in a not-too-pretty way, "Yugi, I- I didn't _kill_ myself… Atsu put me under some spell and he was controlling me- I didn't want to die, I wanted to live… I wanted to live for _him_ …"

Yugi's eyebrows were narrowed when Eshe turned back to him, his eyes were beginning to glisten sympathetically and he gently raised a hand to rest on her shoulder, "Atsu will not get away with what he's done to you."

Eshe blinked her eyes a few times to push back the tears, sniffing quietly, she meekly nodded her head and then looked up to where Rura stood, his head hanging and his gaze presumably on the ground; something about his posture and tense shoulders seemed remorseful.

Before Eshe could open her mouth and ask what was up with him, the noise of footsteps coming from the next corner sounded, becoming steadily louder and immediately Rura jumped into action, summoning his Spirit Monster to protect them from whatever was coming their way; Eshe and Yugi scrambled to stand behind the magician with attentive steps, bracing themselves for some sort of approaching danger.

And then, Mokuba came running around the corner; his initial reaction to seeing a monster steeled to attack was to jump back and let out a panicked yelp, but upon looking past it to Yugi and Eshe, his eyes widened and his mouth formed a wide smile, "Yugi! Eshe!" he cried in surprise, and Eshe raced to grab Rura's arm while simultaneously rubbing her tears away.

"It's fine, he's with us!" Eshe squeaked, and Rura looked cautiously at her before he nodded, calling his monster back.

Not a moment later, Seto Kaiba appeared, scolding his younger brother for running off so quickly, and then his gaze hardened at the sight of the others, "Yugi."

"Kaiba", Yugi nodded in acknowledgement, a bright smile reaching his face, "Good to see you, I'm glad you're both alright."

Seto's face remained stony, "Spare the pleasantries, Yugi, we need to find a way out of this place immediately."

It was somewhat odd, facing Seto Kaiba after the return of Eshe's memories in which she recalled the very different way Priest Seto regarded her - but at the same time, there were some pointed similarities between his past incarnation and his current one, and that was that they both hid their emotions quite admirably. Eshe wasn't fooled, however. She could read Priest Seto like an open book, and Seto Kaiba was no different, she could tell he was at least relieved she and Yugi weren't dead, as Atsu had threatened.

Eshe's eyes flickered to Rura, who was staring at Seto with the most profoundly confused expression she had ever seen on his typically reserved face.

"...Priest Seto?" Rura inquired hesitantly, and Seto's eyebrow arched drastically.

"Oh no", the blue-eyed boy remarked, "Not another Egyptian moron."

Eshe had to bite down on her lip to avoid letting out a snicker of amusement; Rura blinked a few times, thrown off by the rampant insult, and Eshe quickly worked to settle his bewilderment.

"This is Seto Kaiba, he's the reincarnation of Priest Seto-"

"We're not the same person", Seto cut in almost scathingly, and Eshe rolled her eyes.

"Right. This is Seto Kaiba, definitely _not_ the reincarnation of Priest Seto", she reiterated, punctuating her words with an over exaggerated wink that caused Seto to growl low in his throat.

Rura didn't look any less confused, so Eshe shrugged, "Just don't refer to him as 'priest' and he won't bite your head off."

Eshe's gaze was drawn once again at the sound of footprints, and she turned quickly back to the passage Seto and Mokuba had come from to find Joey, Tristan and Téa running towards them. She drew in a gasp, joy rushing through her at the sight of her friends; Yugi and Joey seemed to notice each other simultaneously and they both let out hilariously enthusiastic noises of glee.

"Yugi! Eshe!" Téa squeaked happily, arms outstretched as she zoomed towards them at full speed; she threw her arms around Eshe first, who returned the hug at once, a few stray giggles leaving her mouth, and then Téa wrapped her crushing arms around Yugi, whose face _definitely_ grew pink at the contact.

Eshe snickered softly, hiding her mirth with a hand over her mouth, and looked up at Tristan as he clapped a firm hand on her shoulder and grinned, "Glad to see you guys!"

"I'm glad too", Eshe spoke, her mind alleviated of worries over her friends, "I was worried about what Atsu had done, but I'm so happy that you're okay", she smiled, amused as watched Joey begin to vigorously rub his knuckles into Yugi's hair.

She blinked a few times, her smile falling back to a frown as she looked around, "But… where's Atem?"

The excitement of finding each other bubbled down at Eshe's anxious inquiry, and Tristan shook his head unsurely, turning to glance between the others to see if they had an answer.

Téa spoke up softly, "I was the last one to be brought here before Atem… I haven't seen him…" she trailed off sadly, concern sinking into her tone, "I hope he's alright…"

Yugi glanced towards Eshe as she gazed apprehensively towards the floor, and he offered her his attempt at a reassuring smile once more, "Eshe, we'll find him, and he'll be fine. He's strong, remember?"

Eshe released a breath, dipping her head in an unconvincing nod, and Seto chose that moment to interrupt impatiently with an enormously unenthusiastic glare, "Enough standing around, can we go now?"

Joey glared at the blue-eyed CEO, "How about a little compassion, moneybags?"

"No, he's right", Eshe cut in, "Atem might need us, we can't just stand around worrying about him, we need to actually do something", she turned to Rura, "Lead the way, Rura."

The group continued together, falling quickly into pace behind the magician; Eshe took a moment to hastily explain to everyone who Rura was and that they could all trust him, "He can summon his Spirit Monster to help us out if we need it", she told them, and Joey perked up, pointing his thumb at his own chest.

" _I_ can summon monsters too!" he proclaimed, a victorious smirk on his face, "So can Kaiba, but mine's cooler", he added a little more quietly, and Eshe blinked confusedly.

"What do you mean you can summon monsters?"

Joey grinned, "I can summon monsters from my deck! All I gotta do is hold the card up and boom- super cool monster."

He made a move to grab his deck, presumably to demonstrate, but Téa shot him a stern look, "Only when we're in danger, Joey."

The blond pouted at the scolding, but did as he was told, and Eshe resumed her perplexed expression, "Wait, you guys are telling me we can all summon duel monsters?"

"That's right, if you have 'em, that is", Tristan answered, "Unfortunately, I left my deck at home", he added with a grumble, looking at Joey with a hint of envy.

It was a good fact to know, that Eshe had a way to protect herself and didn't have to rely on someone else for safety; Yugi seemed quite interested in this snippet of information as well, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his deck and give it a swift inspection to make sure he could grab a strong monster if he needed to.

After a while, Rura led the group to a large hall that appeared to purposely resemble the a room in the palace that Eshe once knew well; the floors were distractingly shiny and the golden throne looked rather imposing.

It wasn't the most eye-catching thing in the room, however.

The gang was faced with a large distorting portal hovering strikingly above the floor in the middle of the room. It seemed suspicious, that one of Atsu's portals was just sitting unsupervised - logically, Eshe could assume that the corrupt magician must've been nearby.

"This portal is our way back to our dimension", Rura informed, "I'm not sure what to expect on the other side, however."

"This looks like a trap", Seto stated, and it seemed to be a unanimous concurrence.

"It may be", Rura spoke, "But it is also the only way to leave this place…"

Eshe sighed, looking back to her friends, "What if Atem's here? I don't want to go without him." If he was still stuck somewhere in this hellish dimension, there was no chance that she was going to happily step through a portal to freedom without him by her side.

Yugi rubbed his chin, pondering their options, "It's strange that he would leave a portal open like this when he pretty much has a field advantage here, especially while he's holding the God cards."

Rura glanced back, "God cards?"

With a frown, Yugi explained, "The Egyptian God cards, they belonged to Atem and we need them to allow him and Eshe to enter the afterlife. Atsu took them… they're very powerful."

Rura's face grew troubled at the new information, "I do not believe Atsu would have the ability to wield the power of the God cards, however, he has something almost as powerful in his arsenal", the knit in his brow lessened somewhat, "Perhaps that is the key to defeat him-"

Before the magician could continue, a green blur slithered through the background of Eshe's vision; she looked past Rura and swallowed at the sight of a new monster creeping craftily around the edge of the room, and as she turned her head, she realised it wasn't just one.

"Guys…" the rest of the group become more aware of their surroundings all of a sudden, turning their heads to find they were completely encircled with many of the same duel monsters. Eshe recognised a collection of _Sinister Serpents_ and _Man-Eater Bugs_ , along with many other low-level monsters.

"They're one and two-star monsters, we can deal with them easily", Seto spoke up, reaching into his deck to produce one of his own monsters, but Rura shook his head.

"There are far too many of them. Only five of us can summon monsters, there are easily fifty enemies, they'll overwhelm us before we can take them out", Rura spoke hastily, "We must go through the portal!"

The monsters drew in close and the group backed into each other, Eshe gave a resigned sigh and nodded reluctantly, "Alright, let's go!"

* * *

Rura had passed through the portal before Eshe, and everyone else entered after her, desperate to escape the assembly of monsters that had began to close in on them; Eshe groaned as she moved through one plane of existence to the other, her head injury pulsing harder in the few moments that felt like the atoms in her body were being pulled apart and put back together.

When she hit the solid ground of the warehouse floor, she was flooded with relief, before the feeling of nausea caught up with her and she had to blink hard for a couple of seconds to dispel the fuzziness around the edges of her vision. Eshe pushed herself up to her knees, noting that Rura had landed a little more gracefully, and that his hard gaze was focused on something across the room.

Eshe looked ahead as she heard her friends arriving from the Outer Dimension behind her, and her heart gave a sudden lurch as she caught sight of Atem lying flat on the floor of a magical cage - his head was turned away and she couldn't discern whether or not he was conscious.

She felt her jaw clench; he was _right there_ , after so long she finally had her memories and the sight of him right in front of her made her chest tighten, furthermore, the sight of him so unlively only served to fuel her anger for Atsu.

Speaking of which, the corrupt magician himself was facing them from across the room, his arms crossed over his chest, his narrowed gaze lingering on Rura with a not-so-friendly expression; it appeared that Atsu had not expected to see the black-haired magician accompanying Eshe and her friends.

Eshe swallowed, leaving the magic-users to their hostile staredown, she stared at the cage that trapped her lover, and hesitantly called out his name, "Atem?"

Atem reacted to her voice, raising his head off the floor, he turned to the portal at the other end of the room and his eyes widened at the sight of all his friends; he worked to push himself up to his knees, "Eshe?" his deep voice was mildly hoarse with struggle and Eshe wanted nothing more than to run towards him.

As her foot twitched to do just that, Rura held an arm up to halt her, "You should stay back, my queen."

Eshe looked to Rura with protest, but the expression on his face was dark, it was very apparent that three thousand years of pent-up resentment was about to come out in perhaps a very hostile form; her desperate eyes flickered back to Atem before nodding in response to Rura. Eshe glanced back at her friends before moving to the edge of the room, far out of the way of the fray that could soon commence, and the rest of the group followed her lead.

"Finally solved that ridiculously easy riddle I set, hm?" Atsu smirked, working to get a rise out of the other.

"Actually no, I wasn't the one who solved it", Rura admitted, straight faced and utterly unaffected by Atsu's weak attempt to irk him.

"Ah, so you cheated", Atsu raised his hands with a shrug, "Why am I not surprised-"

Rura interrupted Atsu before he could finish his thought, "You locked me away for three thousand years, I think my escape was fair and equitable- oh, I'm sorry, do you need me to define those words for you?"

Eshe rose an eyebrow, catching the somewhat daring tone to Rura's voice, it appeared the boy had had enough of being stoic and standoffish, and instead chosen to give Atsu a taste of his own taunting medicine.

Atsu's green eyes twitched, his nostrils flaring up in hatred, "I've kept you around far too long. I should've killed you years ago."

"Kill me?" Eshe was observant enough to catch the micro twitch of Rura's mouth, signifying amusement, "Don't embarrass yourself, Atsu, we all know who the better magician is here."

Atsu's teeth grinded together, "We'll see about that."

The corrupt magician widened his stance, his head lowering slightly while his eyes remained forward, the piercing stare of his eyes peering out from under his brow was filled with contempt; an oddly transparent mist seemed to ascend out of the floor around Atsu's feet, his frayed, black cloak ruffling in the phantom breeze, and he rose his hand, palm facing the other, a disdainful smirk on his face.

Slowly, the outstretched palm began to expel and create some sort of black energy that built up in the form of an electrical sphere; Eshe took a nervous step back, anticipating the rising danger of the situation.

Rura rose his hand, a graceful motion and a wisp of his fingers, and suddenly there was a translucent barrier encircling both magicians, keeping the approaching ruination within; it was thoughtful of the boy to think to protect Eshe and her friends from residue magic.

Atsu released a sickening sneer, "You do realise that protecting them will take fifty percent of your concentration, don't you? You're a fool if you think you can defeat me like that."

Rura didn't respond to Atsu's ceaseless jeers, instead, he returned his hand to his side and awaited the other's first move.

"Tch", Atsu spat, "Prepare to die, you halfwit."

The buzzing electrical energy in the palm of Atsu's hand shot forward, heading straight for the unconcerned magician, and then at the last possible second, Rura flicked his hand again and a harsh noise sounded as the energy came in contact with the boy's newly-materialised magical shield; Atsu's attack reverberated off of the barrier and dissolved.

Without another moment to waste, Rura charged towards the foe, his hands raised in purposeful gestures to summon forth magical energy to direct towards Atsu; the two magicians clashed, their otherworldly powers clashing violently.

The battle commenced.

The group watched on with apprehension, noting that each of the magic-users seemed level in their powers; Eshe's eyes strayed frequently across the room to where Atem remained trapped, wishing she could approach the boy - simply being closer to him would settle her nerves a bit, but she was also conscious of the fact that her movement might distract Rura from his focus. Atem watched the intense battle, his left hand gripping one of the bars confining him, and a few times his gaze also strayed towards her.

Eshe grinded her teeth together anxiously, her eyes falling back to the fight ahead of her, and she tried to think hard about what Rura had been saying just before they entered the portal to the warehouse.

The magician had been murmuring under his breath, but Eshe had caught his words, something about being able to defeat Atsu, as if he had had some sort of epiphany on the matter; it really would've been advantageous if Rura hadn't been distracted by the monsters that had surrounded them - Eshe might've been able to catch the thought before it trailed off.

She watched as Rura summoned roaring flames, shocking sparks and gales of ice, all spells illustrating the power of destructive magic; Atsu avoided or reflected each hazard as it came his way, but Rura was just as apt at dodging every dark ball or wave of energy Atsu sent his way.

Rura appeared far more stilted in his sudden, swift movements, sidestepping to evade certain spells whereas Atsu was frantic in his precise movement, lunging and veering to elude the wide berth of Rura's damaging hexes.

Atsu's facial expressions were full of anger and irritation, while Rura remained straight-faced and calm; the two of them were polar opposites.

"It's no use, Rura, you cannot stand up to my powers. I've had three-thousand years to perfect my techniques, while you've done nothing but sit in a cell", the sandy-haired man spoke, his voice loud and booming over the noise of clashing attacks.

"That may be so, but raw power won't always get you where you want to be", he paused to evade a stray bolt of black lightning with an elegant step to the right, "Sometimes, you have to be smart." His words, nonchalant and smooth, had their desired effect, and Atsu grew even more aggressive and fierce in his attacks; Eshe frowned, wondering what Rura's end game was supposed to be. She couldn't determine what Rura's plans were in making Atsu more infuriated than he already was - perhaps he was attempting to burn him out?

Atsu let out a roar, raising his hands skyward as black sparks erupted from the ground within the Rura's protective barrier, the Millennium Puzzle around Atsu's neck glowed brilliantly and presumably added to the potential of the man's wretched attacks.

" _Let's see you be smart about this_!" A black wave rose from the floor by his feet, encompassing the entire area of the battlefield, and Eshe's eyes widened in fear - the spell was reminiscent of what Atsu had blasted Sabiya with in the final moments of her past life, except on a much larger scale.

For the first time since the battle began, Eshe saw a flicker of apprehension in Rura's narrowed eyes moments before the black wave hit him; he let out an involuntary cry as the darkness consumed him momentarily, and then he fell to his hands and knees, his body twitching from the black electricity assaulting his body - it appeared to have a paralytic effect, and Rura trembled as he rose his head to glare at Atsu.

The green-eyed magician let out a howling laugh and Eshe clenched her fists, shaking her head slightly in fear - it seemed as though Rura had been ill-prepared for that last attack.

"You see, Rura? You're _nothing!_ Your powers are pitiful in comparison to my own!" Atsu hissed, and his manic smile fell into something primal and depraved, " _All_ I ever wanted was to be seen as your equal! You always treated me as though I was nothing - nothing but an irritating flea on your head. _I didn't want to hate you, but you made it so_ _ **goddamn**_ _easy!_ "

Rura's hard glare did not let up, his limbs shook with the effort to keep himself upright.

"From the moment we stepped into Mahad's classroom together, you were always his _favourite_ ; he judged me from the offset and praised you for every little thing. I was _just_ as capable and skillful as you were, and yet, he was never satisfied with anything I had to offer."

The hissing breath Atsu took was audible to everyone in the room, making Eshe's lips curl in disgust; the man was seriously unhinged.

"His teaching methods were _biased and discriminatory!_ Not to mention all those times he sent you to _spy on me_!"

Rura spoke through gritted teeth, his voice strained as he tried to keep it firm, "Master Mahad sensed darkness in you from the moment he saw you. He did not ask me to watch you, I did that of my own accord, and I see now how right I was to do so. I may not have stopped your plans altogether, but I did delay them."

Eshe blinked, realisation falling heavily on her mind.

Rura had never been spying on her, ever. She had completely misunderstood his intentions. She had only seen him lingering nearby when she had been with Atsu; Eshe had simply assumed she was the subject of his apparent surveillance. If it hadn't been for Rura's suspicions, Atsu might have fully succeeded in his plans a long, long time ago.

"You _scum_!" Atsu shouted, electricity crackling through the air as his fury rose; for a moment, Eshe thought he was about to explode with power again, but he took a deep breath, a revolting smirk reaching his lips as he stared down at Rura, his voice lower all of a sudden, "You tried so hard to be Mahad's top student. I knew how much you wanted to be his apprentice", a dark chuckle let his mouth, "Weren't you disgusted when he chose Mana to be his successor?"

The corrupt magician's attempt to provoke Rura was futile as the other looked Atsu in the eyes, allowing a small shimmer of amusement to trickle into his expression, and he spoke, "I respected Master Mahad's judgement and his reasons for choosing Mana. She had every quality he was searching for in a successor, ones that neither you nor I possessed. Besides-" for once, he gave a full-on smirk, "I was satisfied being Mahad's _second_ best student."

Atsu bellowed in his outrage, breaking into a charge towards the other; Rura seized the opportune moment and flung his arm forward, sending a fiery ball of flames directly at Atsu's face; the depraved man halted his run, taking his eyes off of Rura as he deflected the blast.

Unfortunately for Atsu, this meant that he was inattentive enough to not see the other immediately jump up and swing a balled fist right into the side of his face; Atsu fell back, head bashing against the hard floor with a pained grunt, and Rura didn't let up.

The black-haired magician raced to throw another startling punch, snapping Atsu's head to the side; while the other was staggered, Rura pressed his forearm down over his foe's windpipe with as much strength as he could muster.

It seemed as though Rura had taken back control of the fight, and Eshe's hand rose to cover her mouth in shocked surprise as Atsu attempted to kick the other off of him.

For a moment, it looked as though Rura was going to defeat the other, and then the black-haired boy reached for the Puzzle around Atsu's neck.

Atsu cast an explosive spell, another black wave of static current filled the battlefield; the force of the attack sent Rura into the air and across the room; he hit the floor with a sickening crack, his body tumbling over itself before he came to a disturbingly sudden stop.

" _No!_ " Eshe cried, her hands shaking.

Rura did not move, and after a few moments the translucent barrier surrounding the magicians dispersed, dust rising from the floor as silence ensued. It wasn't a good sign, and Eshe could feel the tension of her friends around her.

So she ran to him.

Despite the startled cries of her friends to stay back, Eshe entered the skirmish area, ignoring the way Atsu threw back his head and laughed. She ignored his scathing, smug words of victory and knelt by the fallen magician, her hands on his shoulders, shaking him gently.

"Rura?" Eshe whispered, fear fluctuating within her words, "Are you okay?"

The magicians grey eyes opened, a familiar heart-rending dullness settling in his gaze that led Eshe to believe he wasn't okay.

"My queen", his voice was quiet, too quiet for any of the others to hear, "I couldn't take the Puzzle, but hopefully these will suffice", his words were strained, as though it pained him to speak, and Eshe looked down as he moved his hand, curling his fingers to reveal from his sleeve the three Egyptian God cards.

Eshe's eyes widened, "How did you…?"

"Atsu is easily distracted, sometimes he fails to see the bigger picture." He held them out to her, and Eshe took them quickly, hiding them up her own sleeve - from the angle she knelt by Rura, it was impossible for Atsu to see the exchange.

"You can defeat him", Rura told her, his eyes flicking to the portal that remained open across the room, "You know what to do."

Eshe swallowed, following his gaze, before she nodded her head, "What about you?"

Rura's lips curled into a sad smile, "I'm glad I could aid you here, my queen, but I was never meant to exist in this time. I should have passed on thousands of years ago."

A lump rose in Eshe's throat and she shook her head in protest, "No, _no_ , you can't… _die_ …"

"A necessary sacrifice", he blinked slowly, his gaze drawing towards the moonlight that shone through the broken windows of the warehouse - the moon was large and full, brighter than usual, it seemed, "It would have been nice to see the sun one last time, but the moon will serve fine."

Eshe clenched her jaw, a miserable whimper leaving her mouth; it wasn't fair - she'd seen so much death in her life, too many ' _necessary_ ' sacrifices from people, giving their own lives for her.

Rura had never intended to defeat Atsu himself; his objective was merely to rile the man up enough that he wouldn't suspect Rura's true intentions of retrieving the God cards - and even now, Atsu had failed to notice they were missing.

"Rura…" Tears shimmered in Eshe's eyes, "Thank you."

The fallen magician smiled one last time, his gaze resting on the lunar light flooding in, and then, quite unexpectedly, his body radiated with bright white luminescence; Eshe covered her eyes briefly, and then he scattered into pieces of starlight, his remnants lifting away to follow the moonlight as they disappeared into nothing.

Eshe's gaze rested on the now vacant space, lingering where Rura's body was just moments ago; she said nothing, a few stray tears falling down her face, dropping to the dusty floor below.

The sound of footsteps behind her made her turn slightly, and she saw Téa appear beside her, standing between her and Atsu, the murderer, across the room. Téa stared Atsu down with brash determination, her fists clenched at her sides, and after a couple of moments, Yugi, Tristan and Joey joined her, the latter two making a show of flexing their biceps and cracking their knuckles towards the foe. Mokuba swiftly followed their lead, which encouraged Seto to play a part in their united moment of resolution.

Atsu found the show of bravery highly amusing, "Oh, so you _all_ want to die?"

The taunt struck a nerve in Eshe's mind, and she rose to her feet, turning around to gently part her friends, stepping through their makeshift barrier to face the corrupt man ahead; her mouth was set in a thin line, the rapidly drying tracks of tears on her face felt cool in the brisk atmosphere of the warehouse. Her eyes flickered to Atem, who clutched the bars of his imprisonment tightly, his fearful gaze moving between his friends and the dangerous foe before them.

In the corner of her peripheral vision, Eshe noticed the black blur of a crow land prudently on the frame of one of the broken windows near the roof.

"Let Atem go", Eshe demanded, her voice surprisingly firm and absolute.

Atsu laughed, "Oh Eshe, you really aren't in a position to be making requests."

"That wasn't a request", her blank expression did not falter at Atsu's irritating reaction.

"You have no authority here, _my queen_ ", the magician hissed satirically, "and if you think you have the power to stand up to me just because your friends are behind you, you've got another thing coming."

"Maybe I have a trick up my sleeve." Eshe's lip curled very briefly at her own inside quip, before her no-nonsense expression resumed, "You have no reason to treat Atem the way you have been, he has never wrong you in any way."

"Wrong", Atsu hissed, looking back to the boy in the cage with distaste, "I have every reason to hate him. He's part of the reason I never graduated to advanced magic."

Eshe eyebrows drew together in confusion, "What on earth are you saying?"

" _Because of him_ -!" Atsu snapped suddenly, raising his voice tenfold - Eshe did not flinch, "- _Because of him, Mahad died, and thus, my teacher was never able to deem me ready for higher level sorcery_." The man hissed, "He ruined _everything_!"

Eshe blinked, a piteous look on her face, "You've been tormenting him because of a three-thousand year grudge that… wasn't actually his fault?"

" _It was his fault! He sent Mahad to his death!_ "

"Wrong", Eshe spoke, purposefully mocking the foe, "Mahad's actions were his own, he never needed orders from the pharaoh to locate and attempt to defeat Bakura- do you know why? Because Mahad was a good man, something you will clearly never understand."

" _Mahad was a fool, and so are you!_ " Atsu sneered, his tone petulant and childish, "He should've allowed me access to the dark magic I wanted to study when he had the chance, maybe things would've turned out differently for him-"

"Mahad was a wise man for keeping those spell books restricted. To keep them from despicable people like you."

Atsu released an enraged shout, electricity sparking around him, Eshe could feel the static in the air; she breathed a calm, studious breath.

"We've met before, haven't we?" Eshe spoke, and Atsu was quiet for a moment, a flicker of confusion in his eyes at her strange-sounding inquiry, before he released a manic, snickering snarl.

"You're a little slow on the uptake, aren't you? I thought that was established long ago-"

"Not what I'm talking about", Eshe swiftly reiterated, "I wasn't referring to our past lives. We've met a little more recently than that."

* * *

 _Amelie Creed was unbelievably bored._

 _She'd been stood behind a group of weird adults for a full ten minutes now, unable to see the displays of Ancient Egyptian objects or hear what the tour guide was saying about them; she sighed exasperatedly and glanced up at her aunt and uncle who were far too absorbed in whatever was being said._

 _The Cairo Museum was not as fun as Amelie had imagined it would be; she'd hoped she would've been able to see the thousands of years-old pieces of broken pottery at least, but as a five year old, her legs were extremely short, and the selfish adults were far too tall._

 _Her aunt and uncle weren't even paying attention to her, as per usual, she could easily just walk off and they wouldn't realise for a while._

' _Eshe…'_

 _Amelie turned quickly, startled by the whisper that seemed to close to her mind; there was nobody standing behind her, no one around that could've spoken. She blinked, taking a few hesitant steps away from the group, confusion reeling through her at the strange voice she had heard._

 _Perhaps she had just imagined it - her uncle was always telling her that she had such an overactive imagination, so it was possible, right?_

 _Before she could turn back around and resume staring at the back of her aunt and uncle's legs, the voice whispered again._

' _Eshe.'_

 _It was a little firmer, and yet, still soft, fluttering through the air like a feather; Amelie frowned, wondering who had spoke and who they were speaking to._

 _Something within the word made her feel at home, as though the voice was speaking to her._

 _She left the group, following the disembodied voice to a door left slightly ajar, she pulled it open and looked down into the darkened stairwell that led downwards. She knew she shouldn't, but the voice seemed to pleading and desperate, almost as if someone was in trouble and needed her help._

 _She glanced over her shoulder, made sure nobody was watching, and slipped through the door, making her way down the steps._

 _The passage led into a dully lit room filled with crates and boxes, but before her on a illuminated table, there sat what appeared to be a necklace. It was surrounded with tools and there were a pair of glasses placed down nearby; the chair at the table was pulled away, someone had not bothered to push it back in._

' _Eshe, over here.'_

 _Amelie tilted her head, stepping closer to the table - if she didn't know any better, she'd say it seemed as though the necklace was talking to her._

' _Please, Eshe.'_

 _Who was Eshe? Why did the voice keep calling for that name?_

 _Amelie swallowed, giving the room another once over before she cautiously reached up, her pudgy fingers wriggling as she moved the pick up the necklace._

 _As if from nowhere, a large hand snapped around her arm, and Amelie spun around with a panicked gasp, facing a man dressed in black, his nose and mouth was covered, but she could faintly make out the piercing green of his eyes._

 _His hand was tight on her wrist, and it hurt. She whimpered from the pain, looking up in fear - she shouldn't have come down here, she was in big trouble._

" _I- I'm so-sorry, m-mister", she stuttered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears._

" _You should not be here", the man hissed, and his eyes widened, his expression terrifying, "Get. Out."_

 _He told her to leave, but his hand remained clenched firmly around Amelie's small arm, his fingers tightening further, and she almost believed he could pull her arm off with such strength; she stammered in panic, her breathing sped up._

" _I- I'm, I-"_

" _If you don't leave now, horrible things will happen to you. If I see you here again, I will break each of your fingers, and then I'll crush you until you can't breathe. Get out, and never return."_

 _Amelie shook, trying to pull away from the man, but her childlike strength could not measure up to a fully-grown adult's._

" _GET OUT!" the man shouted suddenly, and Amelie's mind was filled with hellish visions of dread and torment - he released her arm and she ran for the stairwell, screaming as she did so, racing to leave the room._

* * *

"Congratulations. Your traumatised me and gave me nightmares for most of my childhood", Eshe stated frigidly, chilliness underlying in her tone.

Atsu found amusement in Eshe's childhood terror, "That was the idea. I couldn't have the spell break before it reached maturity; one touch and you could've ruined _everything_."

Eshe's mouth formed a thin line, lips pursed as she stared at the magician; her blood bubbled with hatred for the man before her - never in her life had she felt such abhorrence for one person. She looked to Atem, and his gaze was stuck on her, his eyes wide; Eshe glanced up, her eyes on the rafters above, and she smiled.

"I pity you, Atsu. You've isolated yourself for thousands of years, do you remember what it's like to have friends?"

"I don't need friends", Atsu spat, "They'd weigh me down, hold me back. Your friends can't save you. It won't take me long to pick each of them apart", his words were punctuated with a dark chuckle.

"Oh, it would take a while, I think", Eshe was unaffected by Atsu's threat, her tone playful and matter-of-factly, "I have more friends than you know."

Atsu's eyes narrowed, and he finally tilted his head back to follow Eshe's gaze, his eyes settling on the hundreds of crows looking silently down at him from the rafters. Eshe watched Atsu's eyes twitch in unease, the muscles in his face tensing from the sudden appearance of his least favourite animal.

Eshe was impressed, they had all entered through the broken windows rather soundlessly.

"Whoa, that's a lotta birds", Joey's whisper came from behind her, and Eshe felt her smile widen at his soft interjection.

"Atsu", she spoke, demanding his attention once more, the magician took his eyes off the birds to glare at Eshe, "Do you know why a flock of crows is called a 'murder'?"

The foe was silent, but his upper lip twitched in displeasure.

Eshe's eyes dropped back to him, her gaze boring straight into his soul as she spoke her next words firmly.

"Would you like to find out?"

Atsu smiled crookedly, his throat quivering as he swallowed, there was something bitter in his gaze that left Eshe to believe there was nothing humorous about his smile now. "Don't go getting any bold notions, _my queen_."

Eshe blinked, shaking her head, "Oh Atsu", she mocked, mimicking his earlier words, "You really aren't in a position to be making requests." Eshe looked up, and dipped her head in a nod.

In majestic synchronicity, the crows dived in one fell swoop, plunging down towards the now panicking magician, they plummeted towards him and began to attack all at once.

"Holy crap", Eshe heard Tristan murmur at the same time Atsu screamed, the crows doing the best they could to pick him apart as he'd threatened to do with all of Eshe's friends.

Atsu was distracted, unable to focus and hold up his entrapment spell over Atem, and the bars disappeared with a flicker, the imprisoned boy falling to the ground in shock; Eshe darted towards him the moment he was free, as did some of the others around her, rushing to Atem's aid.

It was a hectic rush, and Eshe grabbed Atem's arm, pulling him up hastily, "Come on!" she cried, practically dragging him back across the room; Joey helpfully made sure Atem didn't trip up again with how frenetically Eshe was trying to pull the boy around.

"Eshe, I dunno how you did that but that was _awesome_!" Joey cried, and Tristan was quick to agree. Eshe was too distracted, her stare on Atem as she touched him for the first time since her memories had returned, and despite the screams and squawks sounding from behind her and the rush of words coming from her friend's mouths, in that moment it was just her and Atem.

His deep purple eyes locked with her's, and in his gaze there was fondness, longing and relief that she was okay - she wanted desperately to pull him close and hold him tight, breathe in his scent and remind herself that he was alive and she was alive and they were _both_ alive and clutching each other.

But it was not the time for that, Atsu was still a threat, and his anger was growing if the sound of his screams were any indication, " _I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU! ESHE!"_

Eshe remembered her hastily concocted plan and grabbed Atem's shoulders, though she was speaking more-or-less to the whole group, "I know what we must do! Do you trust me!?"

Atem blinked wildly, and he nodded dumbly, "Of course", he spoke, and Eshe felt joy rush through her at the sound of his affirmation.

"Good", she smiled almost tearfully.

She knew how to bring Atsu's terror to an end. With a tug of Atem's shirtsleeve, she turned on her foot and leaped through the portal to the Outer Dimension.

* * *

 **Notes: :') I love all y'all. Please review, my lovelies.**


	34. Fools Forsaken The Wrath Of My Throne

Transcending Time

Chapter Thirty-Three: Fools Forsaken The Wrath Of My Throne

Eshe's feet hit solid ground, a much more calculated landing than with her previous journey through the dimension aperture, and at once, a chill washed over her; the portal destination had changed and there was a noticeable breeze in the air, ruffling the curls of hair hanging around her shoulders. She inhaled and exhaled, a shudder in her breath from the low temperature of her surroundings, and her arms rose of their own accord to hug herself in an attempt to warm up a little more.

The palace with the twisted spire stood ominously in the background, encircled with dark clouds; a rumbling noise echoed in the distance like a faraway thunderstorm that was slowly edging closer, bringing with it the feeling of impending disaster.

Eshe stood amongst a field of dead grass, the almost-black blades crunching below her feet as she took a few steps forward. There appeared to be nothing around for miles, it was just a large plot of decaying land. Perhaps Atsu meant for it to instill a sense of foreboding within Eshe and her friend's minds, _or_ maybe it served another purpose.

The area was barren and flat, it reminded Eshe of a battle field.

Atem passed through the portal behind her, stumbling as he landed, and Eshe turned to him, a small lump in her throat growing despite her effort to swallow it. For a brief moment, Eshe forgot about the skirmish and the danger, the sight of his deep purple eyes locking with her's sent her heart aflutter.

She blinked the distraction out of her mind, turning back around to scan the immediate space; the open expanse was quite suitable for what needed to be done, but Eshe didn't want to be near the portal when Atsu subsequently came barrelling through. Before she could take a step forward, Atem's hand was on her arm.

"Wait, Eshe."

Eshe turned to him curiously, noting the slight weariness in his gaze and the tiny remnants of a smile on his lips; she couldn't help but beam at him, recognising his expression for what it was - relief and adoration. Her eyes flickered to the mark on his cheek, spying the thin, clean cut; it was a few inches long and looked as though it hurt. Eshe's smile fell, reaching her hand to gently brush her thumb against the small abrasion, and the motion caused Atem to raise his head a little, which drew Eshe's gaze down to his neck.

His tan skin was marred with dark purple bruises which took the form of large fingers; Eshe swallowed as her stomach dropped, her eyes widening in horror, "Who did this?" she whispered, her fingertips trailing down the side of his face to trace the evidence of strangulation.

Atem's eyes flickered down briefly to her hand and he shook his head, curling his fingers around her wrist, "Eshe, I'm-"

"Who did _this_?" Eshe asked again, now referring to the dark contusions on the knuckles of his right hand; it physically pained her to see injuries on his body, and it made her all the more angry, because she didn't have to ask who had done this to him - she already knew.

"-I'm glad you're safe", Atem continued, ignoring her question, "I thought you were… I thought Atsu had…" he swallowed, his lip involuntarily quivering as he trailed off, unable to finish what he was going to say, but it was clear enough to Eshe what had gone through his mind.

"I'm here", she breathed, pushing down on the emotion that threatened to bubble up in her voice, "I'm fine. We're going to get through this- we've been through worse." She made her tone as assuring as possible, because she knew that Atsu wasn't undefeatable, and Rura had known that when he made his brave sacrifice.

Atem nodded absently, staring longingly into Eshe's eyes; the realisation became apparent to Eshe that it had not yet clicked into place in Atem's mind that she spoke knowingly about their past experiences - he had not yet registered that she had recovered all of her lost memories.

Eshe's lips curled upwards, "Atem, I-"

The brush of static across her consciousness cut her off and she turned back to the portal as Seto and Mokuba hopped through, followed quickly by Yugi, Téa, Tristan and Joey.

"Your plan better be good, Eshe", Seto spoke icily, his naturally austere gaze piercing through her like a sharpened spear, "Now might be a good time to fill us in."

"We gotta hurry, guys", Yugi declared with a hint of apprehension in his voice, "I don't think the crows can hold him off much longer."

Atem nodded, turning back to Eshe with a more alert look in his eyes, "What's your plan, Eshe?"

Eshe swallowed as all eyes turned to her expectantly, she reached into her sleeve and revealed the three powerful duel monster cards Rura had procured for her, "We use these to defeat Atsu", she explained timorously.

Atem's eyes widened minutely as he laid his sights upon the cards in Eshe's hand, "The Egyptian Gods", he exclaimed in surprise, "When did you get them?"

Eshe handed them over to the boy, gazing down as Atem's fingers brushed lightly against her own, "It was Rura", she said softly, "He got these back for us, and he had every bit of confidence that we could take Atsu down with them."

Atem's eyes scanned the cards with a somewhat dour look, bringing a frown to Eshe's face, "I- um, I was hoping you could summon them?" She had assumed he would be able to call forth the Egyptian Gods - she had seen him summon _Obelisk, The Tormentor_ many years ago on the day of his coronation, and he had done so effortlessly, it seemed. Maybe she had been wrong to presume that Atem, strong as he was, would have the strength to summon all _three_ of them.

After a moment of sombre contemplation, Atem looked up from the cards to Eshe, and then to the others, "Without my Puzzle, I won't be able to summon all of them-"

"That's not an issue", Seto cut in, reaching over to pluck one of the cards from Atem's hands with his slender fingers, "I'll summon _Obelisk_ ", the CEO declared with conviction and the tanned boy gave him an extended, pensive look, before nodding with appreciation.

"I don't mean to panic anyone but Atsu will probably be coming through this portal in a matter of minutes", Téa spoke, pointing with her thumb at the dimensional gate just behind them.

"Come on, let's get some distance between us and him", Yugi suggested; it was as good an idea as any, and the group immediately broke into a run, sprinting away from the static aperture. There was nowhere to hide in the vast field, which was unfavourable for the three individuals in the group that were unable to summon monsters due to a lack of deck.

The further out they ran, the more sinister the world grew and the colder it seemed, Eshe pattered to a stop, taking a moment to recover her breath and turned back to face the gate that now shimmered erratically - not a moment later, Atsu stepped through.

He looked murderous, blood smeared across his face from where the crows had pecked mercilessly; his air was in disarray, sticking out in every direction and there were a few stray feathers stuck on his robes. He said nothing, merely raising both hands to the skies as he summoned forth a multitude of monsters all around them.

Dark mist arose around the depraved magician, Atsu's teeth grinding so hard he could wear his teeth down, "I'll make you feel pain like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body", the green-eyed man hissed, a disgusting guttural sound to his voice that grated against the back of his throat.

"Nyeh, I don't think so", Joey exclaimed, pulling a particular card from his deck with a crooked grin on his face, "Tell it to the _Red Eyes Black Dragon_!" He held up the card, a great light emitting forth that grew into the form of a large, splendid dragon - its body turned jet black and its wings spread wide, facing the multiple beasts Atsu had summoned, two blood-red eyes staring back at them.

Eshe looked upon it in awe; the monster was five times as majestic in real life as opposed to just a hologram, and it looked fantastically strong, poised to fight off the monsters storming towards them. Joey ordered it to attack, and the dragon sent forth a flaming fireball from its mouth, engulfing a handful of the lower-level beasts in flames.

Too caught up in the adrenaline rush of watching Joey's monster take out several foes, it took a moment for Eshe to realise that she could and _should_ be helping with her own monsters; with a start, she reached into her pocket and grabbed her deck, summoning the first monster she came across - and just in time too, because as she did so, a couple of monsters drew forward in Joey's dragon's blindspot.

"I summon _Neo the Magic Swordsman_!" Eshe cried, and the armoured, blond spellcaster materialised within seconds, brandishing his sword to swipe at the inferior beasts as they charged - he made quick work of them before falling into a defensive stance, eyes peeled for any more monsters that dared to grow bold enough to try and harm Eshe or her friends.

Atsu didn't seem worried that two monsters had taken out half of his lower-level army, his mouth curling into a smirk as he raised his hands to summon even more; Eshe frowned, wondering what he was so happy about.

 _Neo_ and _Red Eyes_ took out more of Atsu's beasts, and he continued to bring more of them back to fight; Eshe ordered her monster to keep the foes away from them before turning back to her friends, "Atsu's up to something; all he's doing is just summoning more weak monsters in waves."

Tristan rose an eyebrow, "Maybe he's not strong enough to summon anything bigger?"

Eshe shook her head as a sudden sleepiness overcame her, letting out an audible breath, she blinked her eyes slowly, her eyebrows knitting in confusion; she looked back to Atem, who gazed at her worriedly, "Eshe, are you alright?"

She looked back at Joey, who heaved a sigh as he watched his dragon take out more monsters, and the reason for her unexpected lethargy clicked in her mind - Joey had told her before that summoning a monster in and of itself was draining, but having that monster attack even once was enough to tire him.

That's what Atsu was doing, he was planning to weaken them one by one until none of them could summon any monsters and he could tear them apart when they were unable to fight back; Eshe swallowed, looking back to Atem once again, "You need to summon the Gods if we want any chance of beating him", she spoke softly, and the boy she loved nodded.

"You're sure we can defeat him this way?" Atem inquired gently; he wanted to be sure, because if there was any chance that Atsu could overcome the God monsters, Atem and Seto would be left powerless, completely stricken of all energy, and they would all be defenseless.

Eshe swallowed, "Atsu stole the God cards because he was afraid of them. Rura had already figured that out, he theorised that Atsu hadn't summoned any of them because he's _not_ that powerful. He can't command the Gods! He only took them because he didn't want _you_ to command them!" Despite her exhaustion, Eshe offered a reassuring smile, "You're stronger than him, I know you are!"

Atem still looked unconvinced, his eyebrows knitted in apprehension; Eshe's smile fell at his lack of confidence, "Atem?"

He sighed, shaking his head, "I've been significantly weakened by Atsu's magic, I don't… I don't know if I can summon both Slifer and Ra", he admitted, and his gaze fell, irritation plain on his face at, annoyed by his own fatigue.

"Who says you need to?"

All eyes turned to Yugi, who smiled confidently, holding up a clenched fist with determination clear on his face, "You don't have to do it alone, Atem. If Kaiba summons _Obelisk_ , I can summon _Slifer_!"

The resolution in Yugi's voice was invigorating, and Atem blinked rapidly for a moment, as if he hadn't thought it was an option before now - of _course_ Yugi could help. Atem had mentioned before how strong Yugi was as a person, and there was promptly no doubt in the tanned boy's eyes; he handed _Slifer, The Sky Dragon_ to Yugi with newfound confidence.

Eshe's smile reformed and she took a deep breath, turning her eyes back to the fray - Joey was hunched over, hands on his knees as he took laboured inhales, grunting on every exhale. She felt about as exhausted as Joey looked, and when she set her sights on the enemy, she found that he appeared completely unaffected, as if summoning a bunch of monsters - even low-level ones - had taken about as much effort as wiggling his little finger.

Her eyes narrowed, looking at the Puzzle still hanging around Atsu's neck. The pendant was feeding him energy to bring forth more enemies, Eshe anticipated it could still be a problem if he were to summon anything stronger. Rura had mentioned something about Atsu having a powerful monster in his arsenal; Eshe grit her teeth, the Egyptian Gods could surely overcome whatever Atsu could throw at them - especially with the combined power of Atem, Seto and Yugi.

"Alright, let's do it", Atem asserted with a purposeful resolve, clutching the God card in his hand.

Téa clenched her fists as she turned to Atem and Yugi, "I have faith in you guys, we're right here with you!"

"Kick his butt, big brother!" Mokuba exclaimed, a smirk on his face in anticipation of the victory they would soon grasp.

Atsu spied the cards in the hands of the three boys and gave a twisted smirk, "No monster you summon will be enough to defeat me! You are powerless!" he screamed, before letting free a gravelly laugh that set Eshe's teeth on edge.

' _Think again, asshole_ ', Eshe thought as she called back _Neo the Magic Swordsman_ ; she nodded to Joey, who recalled his dragon and the two slumped a little in exhaustion. As Atsu materialised even more beasts, Yugi stepped forward, landing his narrowed gaze on the corrupt magician as he held the card to the skies.

"Come forth, _Slifer the Sky Dragon_!"

Seto followed suit, his icy stare unfaltering as he held aloft his own card, "I summon _Obelisk the Tormentor_!"

Atem's eyes slipped closed as he centralised his focus and raised the third and final God card above his head, "Almighty protector of the sun and sky, I beg of thee, please heed my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. I beseech thee, grace our humble game, but first I shall call out thy name: _Winged Dragon of Ra_!" Eshe watched in awe as the cards lit up, three bright beams of light shooting upwards into the sky in their respective colours - immediately the illumination appeared to dispel the surrounding darkness, breaking apart the black clouds overhead.

Atsu's face was priceless, his jaw having fallen open at the luminescent sight above, and after a couple of moments he began to hastily search his pockets in disbelief; upon realising he was no longer in possession of the powerful monsters, his face grew crazed and angry.

Eshe stared at the glorious Gods above, incredulous and speechless; she had only ever seen _Obelisk_ in person, but to witness all three - it was absolutely mind-blowing.

Atsu wiped the shock from his face, replacing it with fury, " _I will end you_!" In one hand, he conjured forth a very familiar item; the Lavalliere necklace.

Atem's eyes widened, the memory of what had happened the last time he conjured that necklace came back to him - Atsu had become a hellish, demonic fiend with which he controlled dark magic that he had utilised to hurt Atem's friends. He couldn't let that happen again. Everyone seemed apprehensive as they locked their disdainful gazes on the cruel man across the battlefield, except for Yugi and Eshe; Atem peered curiously at them, both of them had their arms crossed and were watching Atsu as though he were just a minor inconvenience - what did they know that he didn't?

Atsu thrust the necklace to the skies, calling upon its great power, " _Not even the Gods can stand up to my extraordinary power!"_

Eshe smirked, her eyes scanning the sky above which remained radiant with the lustre of the Gods as she wondered how long it would take Atsu to realise nothing was occurring, and that the necklace in his hand was void of any magical power.

"Huh… it didn't take this long the last time", Tristan remarked, and Téa nodded in agreement.

"That's because it's not Eshe's necklace", Yugi pointed out with a smirk gracing the corner of his mouth, "It's the fake."

"What?" Joey exclaimed, "Then where's the real one!?"

Eshe smiled, "Hanging around my neck", she answered, and after a moment she could _feel_ Atem's intent stare on the back of her head; she turned to peer at him knowingly, a meaningful twinkle in her warm, brown eyes.

"We found the real necklace while Rura was with us", Yugi explained, "Eshe took it, and she remembered the fake one was in my bag, so we switched them!"

Eshe could tell the moment Atem realised that her memories had returned; his lips parted, his deep purple eyes shimmered with restrained emotion, and he looked as though he couldn't decide if he wanted to cry or smile.

Atsu's enraged shout broke the tender gaze between them, and Eshe swung around as the man threw the fake necklace to the ground, his face furious and painted with ferocious intent, " _You think you can outsmart me? I'll show you just how powerful I can be!_ "

Dark clouds came together above Atsu despite the light of the Gods, and a chill crawled down Eshe's spine as black shapes began to merge and take the form of something huge - something as big as the Egyptian Gods - and lightning crackled through the air with the accompanying chords of thunder.

"I summon _Dark Horus_!"

Eshe took a step back as the monster manifested; it was similar in appearance to _Ra_ , except instead of a brilliant golden glow, it's armoured skin was a steely black - red eyes peered down at them with the promise of pain.

"Y-you can defeat that, right?" Mokuba asked with a tremor in his voice as he turned back to his brother, "Right, Seto?"

Seto's icy gaze regarded the new monster with nothing less than exceptional apathy, "We have three Gods and he has one cheap imitation, crushing him will be easy."

"Don't let your guard down, Kaiba", Atem instructed, a hint of uncertainty in his deep voice.

"I don't need your advice, pharaoh", Seto hissed, before raising a commanding hand, speaking directly to the God he had summoned, " _Obelisk_ , attack!"

 _Obelisk_ reared back for an attack, the huge monster stepping towards _Dark Horus_ , but Atsu's hand clamped down around the chain of the Millennium Puzzle and he held it up - the pendant began to shine and the magician's open-mouthed grin was far too unsettling.

Hundreds of monsters spawned once more, no longer the pitiful low-level beasts from before, but instead, waves of stronger monsters that darted forwards the moment they came into existence.

" _Slifer_ , defend us!" Yugi cried, and Seto begrudgingly called his monster's attack off and led it to defend instead, it was clear to Atem what Atsu's intentions were - a one-on-one duel between two intensely strong monsters.

 _Winged Dragon of Ra_ versus _Dark Horus._

"Watch yourself, _pharaoh_ , my monster has the power of a God!" Atsu claimed, a manic laugh escaping his throat that drew Eshe's upper lip back in disgust.

Atem stepped forward, passing by Eshe, who looked to him in concern, and he steeled himself, prepared to put an end to the fiend's treachery.

" _Winged Dragon of Ra_ , show him the power of a _real_ God!"

It was like a blast of nostalgia for Eshe to watch Atem in his element, both from the times in the past and the times she had witnessed such regal ascendancy from his bursts of confidence in duels. She never felt more safe than when Atem poised himself, cool-headed and assertive, to put his enemies down and bring their tyranny to and end.

 _Winged Dragon of Ra_ and _Dark Horus's_ attacks clashed in the air, booming loud and flashing with light; Atem stood his ground, unflinching throughout the skirmish, impressive and imposing. Eshe knew it really wasn't the time to think about such things, but the sight was incredibly attractive.

' _Kick his ass, babe_ ', Eshe thought with a smirk, reaching into her deck to pull out another monster - Seto and Yugi's God monsters were holding the waves of beasts off quite admirably, but there were so many foes, it was only inevitable that one might sneak through and deal some damage - Eshe wanted to be ready.

She paused, eyeing the monster she had picked out at random, an idea forming solidly in her mind; Yugi Moto's signature still shimmered across the card in silver ink, right above _Kuriboh's_ head.

Kuriboh was a small and weak monster, but perhaps that could work to her advantage - lower-level monsters appeared to cost less energy for the summoner, and because of its small form, Kuriboh could likely float around without risk of being noticed.

Eshe swung around to face Joey, "How're you feeling?"

Joey blinked, "Not bad, still kinda tired, I guess-" his statement was supported by a loud, drawn-out yawn.

"Mmm", Eshe hummed, scratching her chin. Joey had summoned a higher-level monster than her, it was only natural that he was more exhausted than she was; her eyes travelled to Seto and Yugi, who were caught up in defending the group with their monsters, before her gaze fell on Téa, Tristan and Mokuba.

"Holy Ra", Eshe sighed, "We're idiots." She swallowed, realising it probably wasn't very polite of her to use the God's name in vain while it was hovering above protecting them.

"Wha-?" Joey exclaimed in confusion, wondering why exactly he was being hailed an idiot.

"Joey, we can lend our strongest monsters to them", she motioned her other friends, " _They_ can summon them- it doesn't have to be their own monsters!"

"Nyeh?" Joey murmured, blinking in realisation, "Oh! That makes sense!"

"Why didn't we figure that out sooner?" Tristan grumbled, "Come on, hand us some monsters!"

Joey regarded Tristan with a dubious eye as he handed over his _Gilford the Lightning_ and _Jinzo_ to the brown-haired boy and Téa respectively, "I'm gonna be needing those back after this, ya know", he told them with an arched brow.

"Yeah, yeah!" Tristan responded as he snatched the monster from them and held it high, " _Gilford the Lightning,_ come on out!"

" _Jinzo_ , come forth!" Téa called out, following suit, and the two monsters materialised at their command.

Eshe nodded with a smirk, turning to Mokuba, "Here, Mokuba, use my _Dark Blade_ and take out anything that sneaks past the Gods", she instructed, and the younger boy jumped for joy.

"Awesome! Thanks, Eshe!" Mokuba exclaimed, before calling upon the monster, admiring its glory.

Now that Eshe's friends were completely protected, she could feel the muscles in her shoulders relax a little; she clutched the _Kuriboh_ card in her hand and summoned him a little more quietly, standing between it and Atsu. The little brown furball seemed happy to be called upon, bobbing up and down in the air with a delighted look on his face, and Eshe smiled.

"Hey, _Kuriboh_ , I need you to do something for me. You see the Millennium Puzzle around Atsu's neck? You gotta move as quietly and slyly as you can, see if you can get behind him and take it before he notices, alright?" she instructed, and the little monster nodded enthusiastically - which was characterised by the way his whole body jumped up and down determinedly - "and please, be careful!" she added.

 _Kuriboh_ peered across the battlefield, his eyes scanning for the best possible path to take to avoid the beasts that were far stronger than himself; his mission was to retrieve a necklace, after all, he had to be strategic about it.

Eshe returned to Atem's side, resting a hand on his shoulder, she could see he was visibly affected by his draining energy, "I've got an idea, keep Atsu distracted with the battle, okay?" He looked back at her curiously, his eyebrows knitted from the effort it took to fight with his monster, and nodded at the sight of resolution on her face.

She grinned, "You're doing great", she added, wishing she could press a kiss to his cheek - but she didn't want to distract him further from the battle ahead. Praising words would have to do; he smiled in appreciation of her commendation, returning to the fight with skyrocketing tenacity.

Eshe kept her eyes peeled as _Kuriboh_ flew away and kept a wide berth of the battlefield, moving out of Atsu's line of sight without him drawing attention; his dark colour made it easier for him to remain camouflaged as he hovered closer to the ground, blending in.

Atsu's head was tilted up, his piercing gaze on the conflict above, his deranged appearance punctuated with his open-mouthed, teeth-grinding grin; he didn't notice when _Kuriboh_ sweeped behind him and levitated up behind his head.

Eshe clenched her fists in apprehension, "Come on _Kuriboh_ , slowly… carefully", she spoke softly, taking a few steps sidewards to improve the angle of her sight; she held her breath as the little fuzzy monster's claws closed around the chain behind his neck and began to rise up.

 _Kuriboh_ wasn't fast enough, for the moment Atsu felt the weight of the Puzzle begin to rise off his chest, his hand clamped around the chain and he swung around, whacking the little monster away. He screamed some sort of obscenity and Eshe gasped as he conjured a ball of electric black energy, flinging it right at the panicked little furball. _Kuriboh_ dematerialised the moment the destructive ball of magic hit him, and pain seared through Eshe's chest.

She fell to her knees, clutching her chest, a barely-restrained whimper escaping her mouth and Atem turned quickly, eyes wide, "Eshe!?"

" _Enough of your antics, Eshe, it's time for you to say goodbye!_ " Atsu screeched, hand raised and palm stretched as he conjured another lethal wisp of spherical magic.

" _No, Eshe_!" Atem cried, darting towards her - the magic was faster, bolting towards her at incredible speeds. Eshe flinched, eyes shutting tight as it hit her, the sound of her friends' fearful shrieks resonating to her left. Her vision was obscured by a cloud of dust, and she registered with a start that she felt no pain from Atsu's hurtling attack.

She blinked rapidly for a moment before a strong, radiant, golden glow made itself known at the base of her vision; she looked down, spotting the light shining from below her blouse, and gently pulled the Lavalliere necklace from its hiding place.

The dust cleared, and it became evident to her why she was unharmed.

Amongst the relieved sighs of her friends, she heard Atem breathe her name, and she saw, through the tremendous golden shield surrounding her, the flourishing expression on her lover's face.

Atem's soul fragment within the necklace had protected her from harm, powerful and incandescent; Eshe felt herself exhale audibly, and she slowly staggered to her feet, still shattered by the result of _Kuriboh_ 's dissipation.

"I'm alright", she whispered breathlessly, sending Atem a look of adoration and gratitude.

The boy turned back to the pernicious - and above all, _confused_ \- magician, his face more gruelling and fierce than she had ever seen it before, " _Winged Dragon of Ra, destroy his Dark Horus and end this tyranny!_ "

Atem was revitalised with a sudden burst of energy. For a few agonising moments, he had believed his lover had been hit with the same lethal magic that had afflicted Rura; the brief notion that his soul fragment had failed to defend Eshe had left him fleetingly paralysed, but the second he had seen that that was not the case was the moment electricity flowed through his veins. " _Full power, attack!_ " Atem commanded his monster, and the Egyptian God sent forth a burst stream of golden light into the heart of Atsu's dark dragon.

It was inevitable that Atsu would fall, nothing could stand up to the power of a God.

 _Dark Horus_ dispersed into nothing with an ear-splitting roar, partnered with the resonance of Atsu's deathly screams; the ground shook and the sound of grinding stone filled the air. Eshe jerked forward as something cracked loudly behind her, flinging round to find the earth fracturing, breaking up to reveal a red-hot ravine with lava flowing steadily at the bottom. She swallowed, shuffling away, looking back to her friends to check that they were far away from the growing environmental danger.

The others were aware, moving away from the hazardous, fiery chasm. Téa, Tristan and Mokuba called back the monsters they had summoned, no longer having to defend from stray beasts - the foes had long since disappeared, but Seto and Yugi remained vigilant with their Gods at the ready, just in case Atsu did something unpredictable.

Having expended all of his energy, Atem fell forwards to his knees; the _Winged Dragon of Ra_ dematerialised as the boy could no longer power its presence, and Eshe breathed a soft sigh of relief. It was over, and Atem had come out on top, as he always had.

Seeing that Atem was a little indisposed due to his exhaustion, Yugi stepped forward, his expression stony, and admirably spoke with formidable conviction, "It's okay, Atsu. Hand over the Puzzle, now."

Atsu was at a clear disadvantage, and yet, he dragged himself to his knees, the Millennium Puzzle glinting where it hung at his neck. He looked terrible and drained as he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled forwards, stalking towards the group with what seemed like last-resort intent.

He broke into a staggering run, his feet falling unevenly against the hard ground as he ran towards them with as much speed as he could muster.

Seto rolled his eyes, looking on pitifully, " _Obelisk_ , finish him", was the icy command from his mouth, and the monster followed the order without a moment's hesitation. The impact of the God's relentless attack sent Atsu flying as it hit the ground, missing him by inches; the pathetic magician soared through the air over Eshe's head, and she watched as the Puzzle slipped from his neck and fell, embedding itself into the soil a few feet ahead of Atem.

The tanned boy pushed himself up immediately, ignoring his aching muscles as he lurched forwards to pry his Puzzle from the soil, he hung it around his neck and the vital power of the pendant coursed through his body once more, he breathed a hard sigh, "Finally…"

Yugi and Seto called back their monsters, satisfied that without the crucial source of power, Atsu would be unable to do much more damage; they were visibly frazzled. Yugi slowly sunk to his knees as he let out a heaving sigh, while Seto's posture slumped - he was far less willing to show weakness.

The Millennium item was back where it belonged, and Eshe looked at her lover with pride; she took two steps towards him before the gravelly rasp of a pleading voice sounded behind her, and she froze, turning to look over her shoulder.

Atsu held onto the edge of the lava-filled gorge for dear life, his face the perfect picture of fear, eyes wide, jaw clenched as his muscles shook from the effort it took to hold himself up. Blood trickled from an abrasion on his forehead, trailing down the bridge of his nose and down to one side of his face, only serving to make him look more crazed. " _Help_ ", he choked out, teeth grinding together as he spoke.

Eshe bawled her fists, not moving from her spot, she stared hard at the green-eyed man hanging from the edge of the precipice, before glancing back over her shoulder at her friends who looked on indifferently. None of them were moving to help, and she didn't feel like lending a hand to the cruel man either.

" _Please_ ", Atsu hissed, jerking as he began to slip, shifting his grip in an effort not to slide off the edge.

"Why should I?" Eshe challenged, turning her nose up at him.

"You can't let me die", he gasped out, and Eshe's face scrunched up in distaste.

"You won't die", Eshe said flatly, "You can't die in this dimension, remember?" Rura had told her so, proven by the fact that after three-thousand years, he was still alive.

"That's _worse_ ", Atsu snivelled, "If you let me fall, I'll hit the lava, and I _won't die_ ", he hissed, "-the pain will never end!"

"Whose fault is that, huh?" Eshe sneered back at him, "You're in this mess because of _you_ , Atsu." She sensed Atem approach behind her moments before his hand curled around her wrist, and she turned to face him, peering at him searchingly.

Atem's expression was unreadable, but the slight tug on her arm made her think that he was entirely unsympathetic to Atsu's situation and wanted to leave this dimension as soon as possible. Eshe didn't blame him, Atsu's endeavours had been truly dreadful and he had done some unforgivable things; he had forced Eshe to stab herself in the heart and partake against her will in his perfidious ritual to obtain power, and he had done so without a second thought to the lives of those around him. Atsu was a selfish being, and he did not deserve to be saved.

Yugi and Téa were the only ones of the group who seemed to contemplate the merits of saving the fiend, but none of her friends trusted the magician enough to try help him up, especially on the edge of a deep, fiery-filled canyon. Eshe didn't trust him either.

But she could never watch someone experience such a painful fate from her own inaction. She simply couldn't stand by and do nothing while another was doomed to face something that was far worse than death; she breathed a sigh and gave Atem an apprehensive look, stepping forward.

"Eshe", Atem's voice was alert and skeptical, but his hold on her wrist loosened, allowing her to make her own decision, despite whether or not he thought it was the _right_ decision.

Eshe bit her lip, her loathing stare on the spineless man on the cliff edge; Atsu looked wretched and feeble, completely lacking in any form of pride - he was powerless in his state, having become completely void of energy from the raging battle beforehand.

Reluctantly, she reached for his arm and grunted as she pulled him up, quickly dropping him as soon as he was out of immediate danger - she didn't want to touch him for longer than she needed to. She brushed her hands together disdainfully, as if his skin was poisonous and she needed to get rid of the grime as hastily as she could. It was done, she'd helped him up, now she and her friends could leave.

Turning her back on him was a big mistake.

In the split-second she saw Atem's expression darken, she knew she'd made the wrong choice in showing compassion to their enemy; there was a scuffle behind her, and then arms circled her aggressively from behind, a dagger was pressed to her throat. Eshe stilled, wincing at the sting of the sharp blade as it cut thinly into the skin of her neck; the arm clamped around her middle locked her own arms to her sides and left her practically immobile, and the disgustingly amused sneer in her ear sent unpleasant shivers down her spine.

"What're you _doing!?_ " Joey cried, his voice filled with anger.

"She just saved you!" Téa protested, eyes watery from rage.

Atem's expression was frighteningly blank, his eyes wide and unblinking as his dark gaze bored into Atsu's crazed face; his fists were clenched tightly at his sides and his brow was low set, overshadowing his deep purple irises.

Atsu gave a manic laugh, his grip around Eshe tightening as he pressed the blade harder against her throat; Eshe's face scrunched up in pain, her breaths short and panicked - if she could just reach into her pocket and pull out a monster card-

"If you love her, get on your knees and beg me not to hurt her", Atsu hissed, the tone of his voice so repulsively delighted; Eshe could smell the stench of his breath, and his words infuriated her.

For a moment, Atem didn't move, he just continued to stare, dangerously calm, at the profane man who had Eshe in his filthy clutches; Atsu moved his hand, poised to slit her throat.

Joey took a step forward, and Atsu turned his frantic gaze on the blond, " _One more step and I'll cut her!_ " he cried, and Joey froze at the threat; Eshe's heart pounded, feeling like a helpless _idiot_ for thinking that helping the villain wouldn't blow up in her face.

" _On your knees_!" Atsu snapped again, his demented glare returning to the tanned boy ahead.

Atem didn't take his silent, scathing gaze off of the man as he slowly sunk to his knees, arching his head up to hold his intimidating stare; Atsu's mouth formed a hysterical grin.

"Well, what are you waiting for? _Beg me._ "

Atem's lips parted, "Let her go." His voice was deep and quiet, and Eshe looked at him remorsefully - it was the result of her own stupidity that had landed him in such a situation.

" _I don't hear any begging, pharaoh_!" Atsu's voice had a feverish, playful lilt to it, and Eshe watched Atem's jaw clench as he hesitated.

Atsu grinded his teeth together, "One last chance. Beg me to spare her - call me master, and I won't slit her throat - you have my word."

His word was worth nothing, but Atem swallowed thickly.

" _Please_ ", Atem forced out, "Let her go... _master_." The word rolled off his tongue like venom in the worst possible way, his lip pulled back it utmost abhorrence.

Eshe blinked back tears, ashamed that her actions had forced Atem to speak such unpalatable pleas against his will; she pinched her fingers in her pocket, pulling a card from her deck, trying to coerce it out without arousing Atsu's suspicion.

Atsu snickered, "Very good", he said, lowering the dagger, to Eshe's surprise, "I gave you my word, I won't slit her throat", the man spoke, his arm loosening around the girl. Eshe blinked rapidly a few times, a spark of hope alighting in her chest, and she moved to escape his hold.

The magician pulled her back, swinging her off the edge of the precipice.

With a scream, Eshe flailed, her hand jerking to grab ahold of the cliff-edge just in time, and stared up at Atsu, whose green eyes were orange with the reflection of the lava far below; the sickening, crooked smirk on his face growing as he raised his foot to stamp down on her hand.

In the blink of an eye, Atem tackled him off the edge, a fierce shout leaving his mouth as he and Atsu disappeared from Eshe's line of sight; Eshe held high the card in her hand.

" _Alector, save him!_ "

A bright light, a flash of silver and red, and Eshe's friends appeared in her vision, reaching down to pull her up; she heard the sizzling of a body hit the lava, a piercing scream come to a sudden stop, and the strong beat of wings - she felt the breeze ruffle her hair as her friends dragged her up onto the solid ground, and looked wildly around for the monster she had summoned.

 _Alector_ 's armoured feet touched down on the ground before her, Atem seized safely in his arms, and Eshe released the breath she was unaware she had been holding; the monster placed Atem down and the boy stumbled, falling to his knees, and before Eshe could fling herself at him, Téa's voice resonated with panic.

"I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I think the portal is disappearing!" she cried, pointing across the field where the distorted aperture was fluctuating frenetically.

" _Run!_ " Tristan exclaimed, pulling Atem to his feet; the boy tripped and floundered as the taller boy dragged him while Eshe and the others set off after them in a sprint.

Atem got his bearings back, getting into the rhythm of running, and pulled back slightly so he could link his hand with Eshe's.

Seto and Mokuba jumped through the portal first, quickly followed by Yugi and Téa; the dimensional gateway began to shimmer in and out of existence and Eshe brought her feet down hard, pushing herself despite her burning lungs and aching legs. Joey and Tristan dived through as it flickered again, and Eshe's hand tightening around Atem's as she shut her eyes tight, and leaped with her lover, praying to every Egyptian God she knew.

* * *

 _Love overcomes all obstacles, and evil never wins._

Eshe blinked her eyes open, and for a sweet moment, she felt like she was home; lying beside the firm, warm body of her lover and breathing in his comforting scent on a cool Egyptian night, the gentle breeze flowing in from the balcony curtains sending a pleasant tingle down her spine, because she was not cold. The heat radiating off of Atem left her toasty and content, and she didn't want to move ever again.

Her vision sharpened, the blurriness fading, and she realised that she was not home, well, not _home-home_.

The dusty floor was hard and rough and moonlight shone through broken windows; they were sprawled on the ground of the abandoned warehouse, a place she was surprisingly elated to find herself in.

They had won.

They had defeated Atsu and escaped in time.

Atem's arm moved, circling around her and drawing her close, and she looked up to his face. There was no smile on his mouth quite yet, just pure exhaustion, his lips parted as he breathed hard from their sprint, and his eyes were half-lidded, nothing but yearning devotion in his gaze.

Eshe's throat grew tight.

"...You remember?" Atem breathed, and Eshe's eyes watered, knowing exactly what he was referring to. She nodded her head, shoving her face into his shoulder as she clinged tightly to the boy she loved.

She inhaled sharply as she began to sob immediately, "I never thought I'd hold you in my arms again", she cried, savouring the feeling of Atem pressed hard against her. There was no way to hold back the flood of tears, and Eshe knew all the others were probably watching her violent blubbering.

Atem gasped, his hand drawing up to tangle in her hair and cup her head affectionately, his cheek brushing the side of her head, "I'm sorry", he whispered, "I-I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry", Eshe cried, "I-I was selfish all those years ago, you saved the world and I acted like a child- I- I said horrible things when you were so brave, I told you I hated you and I- I'm _sorry_! I don't hate you, I don't-" she knew she was probably making Atem's shoulder uncomfortably wet with all her tears, but she couldn't stop the raw emotion pouring from every orifice on her face, "I love you… _I love you_."

"I know", Atem whispered, his voice strained like he was trying not to cry. "I love you too."

Eshe pulled away from him slightly, seeing her friends - all safe - watching her with varying degrees of sentiment on their faces. Except Seto. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head with minor exasperation.

The action caused a short, quick and hysterical laugh to escape her mouth, and she pressed her face down again, rubbing her wet face against Atem's shirt where a damp, dark patch had emerged.

"Eshe", Atem whispered, and she hiccuped.

"Mm?" she sniffed.

"We're alive", he told her softly, "-and we're together."

 _They were together_.

It was all Eshe had prayed for since the day they had been forced apart.

The Gods had taken their time, sure, but they had delivered.

* * *

 **Notes: I'm sorry this chapter was a lot shorter than the previous ones, but I'm going to make the next one as long as I can and filled with some lovely moments, since it's technically the last FULL chapter. After that, there's an epilogue, and that's it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you review, I will be SO grateful. I read and cherish every single review even if I don't always reply to them, so please do send them! :)**


	35. In Exchange For A Hero's Farewell

Transcending Time

Chapter Thirty-Four: In Exchange For A Hero's Farewell

They had been in the Outer Dimension for almost two days.

It hadn't felt quite that long, but then again, there had been no possible way to tell time while they were put through Atsu's jarring trials, and the constant apprehension flooding through Eshe's veins had worked to distract her from anything but the thoughts of Atem and her friends.

Being free from that terrible place was alleviating, to say the least.

The rush of relief that had brushed her mind when Eshe realised they had triumphed, and that her friends were all safe and unharmed, left her lightheaded. One by one, the group had quietly and sluggishly stumbled out of the abandoned, dusty warehouse and into the personal limo that Seto Kaiba had called.

Roland, Seto's business advisor, had had a minor freakout from what Eshe could hear over the phone about the highly unusual two-day disappearance of the CEO and his little brother; Kaiba had calmly explained that he was perfectly fine and that his excuse for not responding to Roland's calls was due to a mix of him being extremely busy and terrible phone signal.

The first thing Yugi had thought to do was call his grandfather to inform him that they were all perfectly fine and on their way back to the Game Shop.

" _Oh, Yugi, I'm so glad you and your friends are safe! I was so worried, I had your friend's parents calling and asking where they all were!_ " Eshe heard the elderly man's voice echo over the phone, and Yugi smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry grandpa, but we're alright, I promise."

The rest of the frantic conversation faded out of focus as Eshe felt exhaustion overcome her, her body had begun to feel the results of the troublesome excursion to the alternate dimension and it took effort simply to hold her head up, so she didn't.

She laid back, resting against Atem's shoulder, and breathed a soft sigh, her lips curling upwards in a smile as she felt him pull her closer, dipping his head to graze a gentle kiss to the side of her forehead. Eshe had missed the warmth of his arms and the subtle, affectionate gestures that revealed just how much he cared for her.

Eshe wanted to raise her head and take in every tiny detail of Atem's handsome face - the natural arch of his eyebrows, the tiny flecks of magenta in his deep purple eyes, the very tenuous dimples in his cheeks - but she simply did not have the energy to lift her gaze up to him at that moment. Instead, she decided she would take a good look at his face later when she was feeling more energetic, and chose to rest her eyes.

And promptly fell asleep.

* * *

When Eshe's eyes slipped open again, it was to the sweet sound of Atem's deep voice; it was such a wonderful way to awaken and she had long since forgotten how delightful it felt.

"We're home", Atem spoke, his hand rubbing her shoulder tenderly; Eshe blinked tiredly, rubbing her bleary eyes. She shifted, waving her hand flimsily by way of saying goodbye to her friends, too sleepy to speak, and heard Atem murmur a drowsy 'thank you' to Seto for the lift as she followed Yugi out of the limo.

Atem exited behind her and immediately reached for her hand, interlocking his fingers securely with hers, and continued to lead her towards the Game shop, moving closely by her side.

As soon as they walked through the door, Yugi's grandpa kicked up quite a fuss, bombarding his grandson with question after question about what had happened to them all and why they were gone for so long without so much as a phone call.

Yugi stuttered aimlessly for a few moments, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully under the scrutiny of the elderly man, before giving him an apologetic smile, "Grandpa, I'll tell you _everything_ , I swear, but can it please wait till the morning? We're kinda tired…"

Solomon Muto looked through his stern eyes at the boy for a few moments longer before relenting, "Alright. Go to bed, all of you. We'll talk tomorrow", he sighed, pulling Yugi into a hug, "I'm just happy you're okay."

Eshe smiled softly, and the three of them excused themselves, striving to climb the stairs so they could find their respective rooms and collapse into the comfort of their beds. Atem sat down on the edge of his bed, his head bowed in fatigue, and Eshe ran a hand through her hair, unknotting the tangles that had woven themselves together.

"I'm gonna change… into pyjamas", Eshe murmured, gathering up her sleepwear that remained strewn across the bed messily; Atem hummed in acknowledgement, swaying slightly as his eyes fell shut. A quiet huff of amusement left Eshe's mouth as she turned to head into the bathroom so she could change and brush her teeth - the whole encounter with Atsu had left a bad taste in her mouth, and the quicker she removed the unpleasant taste, the sooner she could cuddle up next to her beloved and finally _sleep_.

Unbuttoning her blouse, Eshe paused as she looked over herself in the mirror; her eyes were clouded with a yearning for rest and the skin below was darkened, chapped lips and dull hair revealed just how worn down she was, and yet, the sight of the necklace hanging around her neck left her feeling more content than she'd ever been.

It was still in the process of sinking in, everything felt surreal and dreamlike, and Eshe had to pinch herself to make sure it was all real; she hurried to change her clothes, leaving the Lavalliere on her person where it belonged, and left the bathroom, reentering Atem's room to find him also changed into his sleepwear, sprawled across the bed with his eyes closed.

Eshe snickered softly, taking a few short strides to the edge of the bed before crawling on, leaning down to kiss Atem's forehead; he stirred and blinked his eyes open, smiling delicately as he looked up at her.

He said nothing, simply shifting to pull the covers back so they could both become cosy below the warmth of the blankets; as soon as they were comfy, Atem snuggled up against Eshe's back, obliged to be the big spoon, his arms around her securely.

"I love you", he whispered against the back of her neck, tickling the skin in a way that left Eshe tingly and warm, and she smiled, mollified and happy.

"I love you too."

Atem fell asleep quickly, but it took Eshe a while longer. A few stray thoughts troubled her, like the reminder that Atsu wasn't actually _dead_ ; she squashed down the fear that he could return at any moment and finish what he started - the man was facing an eternity of agony in repayment for his sins at the bottom of a pool of lava, he wasn't going to return anytime soon.

After a while, her reeling thoughts settled, and she too fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of Atem's breathing and the knowledge that she was safe within his protective embrace.

* * *

"We should probably get up."

"Mm… no", Atem murmured sleepily into Eshe's shoulder, his voice garbled with drowsiness.

Eshe smiled, shifting to raise her hand up to run her fingers through Atem's hair, caressing his scalp and drawing a soft sigh from his lips. Atem's feet playfully nudged her own below the covers, his toes tickling against Eshe's ankles with nothing but the pure desire to touch her in as many ways as possible.

"Your feet are cold", Eshe murmured, brushing her lips against the side of his head, kittenish accusation in her voice.

"I know. Your feet are warm." Atem responded, and Eshe could hear the smile in his voice, prodding his feet with her own wriggling toes. She repositioned herself, leaning up on her elbow to look down at the boy snuggled up beside her, and his arms tightened around her, subtly pulling her back down against him.

"We really should get up."

"Your eyes are beautiful", Atem mumbled, his doting gaze scanning her face, ignoring her statement about leaving the comfort of the bed.

Eshe shook her head, unable to restrain the smile on her face, "My boring brown eyes?"

Atem's gaze hardened and he reached up, cupping her cheek with his gentle palm, "No, they're beautiful. Sunshine reflecting off copper coins."

Eshe felt her face heat up, "Shush", she mumbled, dropping her face to his chest, rubbing against the fabric of his _Kuriboh_ pyjamas. Many times in the past, he had blessed her with such poetic language when describing her each and every little thing he loved about her appearance.

Of course, her eyes could never compare to the ethereal beauty of Atem's elegant purple irises.

"They _are_ ", Atem protested, sensing the skepticism in Eshe's bashful voice, "The most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."

Eshe smirked, quirking an eyebrow at his words, "Maybe you've never seen your _own_ eyes then."

"Psh", Atem shook his head, "I could look into your eyes for an eternity", he spoke.

"Guys, I can hear you being mushy", came Yugi's voice from the other side of the bedroom door across the room, "Grandpa's making us pancakes so get up or I'll eat yours!" The sound of his footsteps down the hallway sounded, and Eshe spied the slight pinkish tint to Atem's cheeks, and the pout on his lips.

"Pancakes sound good", Eshe remarked, suddenly realising how empty her stomach felt, and Atem sighed, his eyes lowering momentarily as he contemplated if pancakes were worth losing the warmth and comfort of the bed.

"I don't want to let go of you though", he murmured sincerely, and Eshe smiled, leaning down to brush a gentle kiss to his lips.

"I'm not going anywhere", she promised. She wasn't going to leave him again.

* * *

"Let me guess, you're here because you require a flight on my private jet, _again_ ", Seto inquired bluntly, a slight sharpness to his snarky voice as he continued to type away at something on his laptop, blue eyes scanning the screen before him, not bothering to glance upwards at Eshe and Atem who had just walked into his office.

"Uh…" Atem glanced back at Eshe, blinking a few times before facing Seto again with a vaguely sheepish, humble look, "Well, ah, that wasn't the only reason we came…"

Seto ceased tapping his fingers and looked up from below his arched brow, "Oh, you're here to request _multiple_ favours?"

" _Actually_ , we came to thank you", Eshe cut in, stepping up beside Atem, "You really helped us out against Atsu in the Outer Dimension. We're very grateful."

One of Seto's eyebrows rose, "Is that so?" his tone was sarcastic, it was clear he thought that the couple's presence was an unnecessary distraction, but Eshe merely smiled in response to his mordacity.

Seto had been beyond helpful long before the warehouse incident, from what Atem had told her; the CEO had been responsible for the groups transportation back to Japan from Egypt, having offered them a spot on his private jet (yes, even Joey), after Atem had turned away from the afterlife gates the first time. Seto had _given_ Atem a bank account with ten thousand dollars in it to make his remaining ninety days more comfortable - Atem hadn't even asked for anything like that, nobody had prompted the CEO to do such a generous deed.

The billionaire had allowed Eshe to enter his new theme park, Kaibaland, on its opening day despite not being a _known_ duelist, so that she could spend the day with her friends, and not long after that, he had literally saved Eshe from being kidnapped by Atsu after she had been forced to walk home from work all alone. If Seto hadn't pulled over in his limo and told her to get into the vehicle, well, things might not have turned out they way they had in the end.

The CEO had come when Atem had called, panicked and afraid for Eshe and Yugi's lives after they had been taken. Seto had insisted he only turned up to help retrieve the God cards, and that he was not concerned about their safety the whole time, but Eshe was observant enough to catch the dismissive lie and uncover the micro expressions that revealed how on-edge he had been throughout the time threats were leaving Atsu's mouth.

"Yes, that _is_ so. Thank you, Seto", Eshe spoke.

Seto rolled his eyes, "It's not because I care."

"Oh, of course not", Eshe nodded with an amusing, satirical note to her voice.

Atem smirked, "Whether or not you helped us out of the kindness of your heart, we appreciate it", the tanned boy spoke, "We're having a little… party, of sorts, before we go back to Egypt. Tomorrow afternoon at the Game shop, you're invited if you want to come?"

"I don't want to come", the CEO responded icily, his eyes falling back down to his computer.

"I thought so", Atem nodded, "If you happen to change your mind, though, you're welcome to turn up."

Seto rolled his eyes again and Atem cleared his throat, pushing the entertained smile from his face, "Anyway… about that flight-"

"-About our _duel_ ", the CEO interrupted, "This afternoon at three o'clock, come back so you can honour your word."

Eshe's gaze flickered to Atem, her hand skittishly tightening around his with an expectant smile on her face; the boy had just told her before entering to room that ' _Kaiba will absolutely want to duel_ ', and she had been waiting for it from the moment they stepped into his office.

"Alright", Atem affirmed, a lilt of humour underlying his voice, "I'll be back at three. We really do need a flight to Egypt though-"

"I've already arranged it", Seto stated dourly, "Now leave. I have emails I need to answer."

Eshe's eyes widened in pleasant surprise, and she grinned, glancing briefly at Atem who looked extremely gratified.

"Thank you, Kaiba", he spoke, being sure to let all of his appreciation sink into his words, and the CEO offered a brief hum in response that he made sure to fill with all his clear agitation.

No matter how much Seto denied it, Eshe knew he had a heart, and she knew he was far more like his ancient counterpart than he cared to admit.

* * *

It felt strange, walking down the streets of Domino knowing that in a few short days, Eshe would never return; the city had only been her home for just under six months, but already she knew she would miss it. There were some truly beautiful parts of the bustling metropolis that she wished she had time to revisit before heading back to Egypt, but she would have to make do with just a few.

Eshe squeezed Atem's hand briefly as they walked through the park in which they had had their first date - there were other places that held a fond place in Eshe's heart, such as the aquarium or the pier, but the park was her _fondest_ memory - it was the closest thing to the ancient palace gardens, with blossoming shrubbery, beautiful flowers and a large pond. It made the world feel warm and content to simply walk on through with the boy she loved.

The boulevard of benches was full of families with young children all feeding the pigeons with birdseed as Eshe and Atem once had. It was a welcomed sight to watch younger kids sitting calmly in the presence of the birds as opposed to chasing them around whilst screaming; if there was one thing in the world that Eshe didn't like, it was rowdy children disturbing birds.

All the young ones in the park were surprisingly well-behaved on that warm summer's day.

Eshe wished she could sit on a bench with Atem and watch the world go by in pleasant quietness, hand in hand, with only the ambient noise of happily chattering families and the distant sound of traffic.

There was somewhere Eshe had to be, however, and if they dawdled any longer, Atem might not make it back in time for his duel with Seto.

* * *

The bell above the door rang as Eshe entered the confectionary cafe with Atem slipping in cautiously behind her; the silver-haired boy behind the counter looked up, a reflexive smile on his face that he donned to welcome new customers, but the moment he realised who he was looking at, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open in surprise.

" _Wow_ , look who it is!" Haru snapped, a hard pout on his face, "You do realise that after three no-call, no-show shifts, and no _returned_ calls, you are _so_ fired."

Eshe smiled apologetically, sensing that Haru was not entirely happy that she had appeared to abandon him and left him to work several shifts alone without giving a reason as to why she had just disappeared - but there was an underlying relief in his gaze, she could tell he had been worried.

"I know", Eshe spoke, "Some stuff happened, too crazy to explain, but it doesn't matter."

Haru didn't seem placated with her flimsy, uninformative excuse, but he didn't appear interested in pushing for details; instead he let his mouth sink into a pout, "Too crazy for a call, huh? Well, whatever. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt but the boss dropped you quicker than a burning log."

Eshe snickered, "It's fine. As I said, it doesn't matter now. I'm, uh, moving to Egypt."

Haru blinked, eyes growing wide, "To Egypt?" his gaze flickered to Atem and he rose a curiously arched eyebrow, "Let me guess… you're going with her?"

Atem frowned, a perplex look in his gaze as Haru addressed him, "Um, well, yes."

Haru's pout grew further, "Man… that _sucks._ The hot guys never stick around."

Growing adorably bashful, Atem blinked his pretty purple eyes in confusion, inadvertently batting his eyelashes in a way that only served to make him look more delicious. Eshe rolled her eyes with a smirk.

In all Atem's years growing up as a public royal figure, hearing countless times a day that he was ridiculously handsome and beautiful, and he _still_ didn't know how to react when someone complimented him - it was something that Eshe loved about him, that her sometimes confident, sometimes cocky beloved could still be made speechless with a few flirty words of praise.

"Watch it, Haru. This hot guy is mine."

Haru raised an eyebrow, "Hey, come on now, Eshe. Sharing is caring." His pout formed a smirk as he looked back to Atem, "Can't I get like… _one_ kiss?" His inquiry was accompanied by a sly wink, and Eshe watched Atem's face turn the same colour as a tomato, his hand raising up to partially cover the shy embarrassment in his cheeks.

"Haru, quit it, you're making him uncomfortable", Eshe spoke, a playful tone of warning in her voice, " _and_ , need I remind you that I, Atem's girlfriend, am _standing right here_."

" _Come on, Eshe_ ", Haru whined, "Do you know how hard it'll be to find a guy as gorgeous as him?"

Atem cleared his throat, his hand rubbing against the back of his neck; the tips of his ears had become the same bright red as his warm cheeks.

Eshe gave Haru the fakest sweet smile she could muster, "Oh, don't worry Haru. I'm sure you'll find a guy as attractive, wonderful and kind as Atem - maybe even _more so_!"

Haru blinked, tilting his head slightly, "What, really? You think so?"

The hopeful tone in the silver-haired boy's voice was quite hilarious as Eshe blankly responded, "Nope."

Grabbing the Atem's hand tightly, Eshe spun around to leave the cafe, trying her best to restrain her giggles at her brief sight of Haru's scandalised expression, "Bye forever!" she squeaked as she heard him begin to stutter, and quickly slipped out of the door with the tanned boy in tow. Once they were outside and away from the overly coquettish cafe worker, Eshe cupped Atem's cheek, admiring the peppering of pink over his face that he attempted to hide, and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.

"Haru might be annoying but he does preach the truth. You're gorgeous", Eshe whispered, a small smirk on her face.

"Stop", Atem responded with a coy grin, " _You're_ gorgeous."

"No, you."

"Shush. _You_."

Their honeyful words were quickly interrupted, which was probably a good thing given Eshe had just started to realise how much they sounded like the mushy and cliched kids in love from every teen romance film ever made, by a heavily accented voice from behind them.

"Oh my God, you're _both_ pretty. Now what's this I hear about you and Kaiba havin' a duel later?" It was Joey, of course, and the blond held a teasing smile on his face, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans as he marched towards them.

"Joey", Atem exclaimed, a little discomposed at being caught murmuring such syrupy words to Eshe, "How do you know about the duel?"

"What d'ya mean how do I know? There's ads for it everywhere! It's gonna be broadcasted but there's a surprisingly cheap entrance fee to watch in person!"

"Wha?" Atem blinked, caught a little off-guard, "I didn't realise Kaiba wanted it to be so public."

"You're not nervous are ya?" Joey taunted, a snarky grin on his face, and Eshe almost snorted.

Atem was often put off by large crowds of people, generally, but when it came to dueling, he was at peak confidence - probably the exact opposite of Eshe when _she_ was dueling.

"Absolutely not", Atem practically snapped, "If Kaiba wants a huge audience to witness his humiliating loss then so be it!"

During a duel was also when Atem was at his most arrogant, it seemed. His remark brought back memories of their past, when Eshe would observe the many times Atem had delivered a Priest Seto a swift and humiliating defeat through their numerous games of Senet.

There was something funny about the fact that Atem had retained that slight immature streak; she couldn't wait to watch the duel knowing that Atem was no longer held back with any sort of stress over their situation. For the past three months, she had come to understand that all Atem's mannerisms held some semblance of worry; that he was almost _constantly_ tense, his shoulders drawn back, always on high alert.

Now, he was peaceful. He was himself, and Eshe was glad.

* * *

Eshe bit her lip in an effort to control her beaming grin; she sat with her friends in the VIP section of the arena that had the clearest view of the duel taking place and was currently full of unbridled glee brought on by the simply charming expression of excitement on Atem's face as he drew a card from his deck.

Seto Kaiba glared at his opponent with his usual frosty, blue gaze, but Eshe could very easily pick up on the underlying amusement in his features - he hid it so well, but it's not like he was a _master_ of deception, the CEO's micro expressions were very telling to say the least.

The two rivals truly enjoyed facing each other. For a moment, it was as if the duel was not about winning or losing, not about being better than the other - but about having fun. The typical banter between them was amusing enough, but it only seemed to spur the other on whenever one of them gave a teasing taunt - it fuelled them _both_ , the specific chemistry the two of them shared was so precise and said a lot about their friendship.

Seto would totally deny it was a friendship at all, but Eshe knew better.

The crowds of people seated in the arena were on the edges of their seats, cheering for their favourite duelist, holding up signs of encouragement for either duelist - it was funny, the amount of fans Atem had assembled ever since the broadcasted duel again Seto at Kaibaland.

Eshe licked her lips as she scanned Atem's face on the screens posted around the arena, giving viewers a better picture of the duelist's reactions. A smirk was hidden in the corner of his lips and there was a warm look in his eyes as he looked down at the card he had just drawn.

It must've been the _Dark Magician_ ; Eshe could pinpoint the look in a heartbeat - she knew the ins and outs of Atem's expression when he was looking at his favourite card.

"Ugh, he's so dreamy!"

"I wanna kiss him all over!"

"Back off, I saw him first!"

Eshe blinked, and slowly turned to look over her shoulder at the standard seating area just behind the VIP block to find three squeaky girls who might as well have had hearts in their eyes, and they were looking directly at Atem.

Shaking her head slightly, Eshe looked back towards the duel, pushing the girls out of her mind. She had absolutely no need to be jealous that three girls were paying _her_ boyfriend a little too much attention - they could look all they wanted, but they could never touch. She knew Atem was faithful to her, and no random, lustful girl was ever going to change that.

"Okay girls, after this duel ends, we _have_ to follow him around until he pays attention to us."

Eshe felt her jaw clench as the giggles erupted behind her along with a unanimous affirmation between the three girls; she couldn't help but peek over her shoulder again at them, trying her best to restrain the dirty look that she so desperately wanted to hit them with.

One of the girls had short, curly, reddish-brown hair with big, round eyes that matched - she was very pretty and appeared to be the 'leader' of their little posse. The other two girls were conventionally attractive with long, straight, blonde hair and blue eyes and had a very cheerleader-esque look about them. If Eshe was in the mood to assign high-school stereotypes, she'd place the burgundy-haired girl as the popular, charismatic type with the blonde girls as her blander, fellow minions.

Eshe sighed, knowing that she was making some pretty snap judgements in her head about the girls - obviously, despite not wanting to get jealous, it was just impossible sometimes.

"I tribute my _Gazelle_ and my _Queen's Knight_ to summon the _Dark Magician!_ " Atem's voice over the speakers pulled her bitter thoughts back to the duel at hand, and she smiled when she realised she had correctly deduced the card he had drawn at the beginning of that turn.

"Next I activate my spell card, _Thousand Knives_ , to destroy your _Luster Dragon #2_!"

Eshe smiled widely at the cocky grin on Atem's face and the narrow glare Seto gave him as his monster was banished to the graveyard; the CEO didn't look too worried, and probably had a face-down spell or trap card ready to keep his lifepoints from being damaged too badly.

She was right, for after Atem called for the _Dark Magician_ to attack Seto's lifepoints directly, the other boy quickly revealed his trap card, _Negate Attack._

The duel was _far_ from over, it seemed.

"Oh, my poor Atem almost had it! Don't worry, I still believe in you, baby~!" the burgundy-haired girl cried from behind Eshe.

' _ **Your**_ _poor Atem!? Girl, he's mine!_ ' Eshe thought, releasing a slight growl from the back of her throat. She blushed slightly when Joey turned to look at her curiously from where he sat beside her, a questioning eyebrow arched inquisitively.

It sobered her up a little, and she quickly turned back to the field, figuring that listening to the girls' silly remarks would only serve to make her more irritated.

Eshe still had to deal with the annoying comments throughout the entire duel, her shoulders drawing tightly together every time one of the girls made an unnecessary comment about how they were going to make Atem _theirs_ no matter what it took. She really deserved a medal for managing to at least act like she was ignoring them instead of turning to snap at them at any point throughout.

Atem won in the end, as Eshe had predicted he would, and she'd had the entire duel to prepare for the squeals of the three girls a few rows behind her.

"YES! My baby won the duel!"

"He's sexy _and_ a great duelist!"

"Oh my God, is he coming over here or am I going crazy!?"

Eshe paused grinding her teeth to notice that Atem was making his way towards the VIP stands, a delighted smile on his face as he paid no mind to the cheering crowds all around him, and looked directly towards _her_ , not the lovesick girls.

"I think he's smiling at me!"

"Girl, you should totally get his number, like, right now!"

Eshe shot up in her seat, having had enough of the ridiculously ambitious comments from the girls sat behind her; she'd show them _exactly_ who Atem belonged to. With firm determination, she marched away from her friends and down the steps of the VIP stands towards her boyfriend.

Atem quirked an eyebrow curiously at the sharp expression on her face, wondering why she was strutting towards him with such a tenacious and predatory look.

The satisfaction that built within Eshe was immeasurable as she heard one of the girls in the stands exclaims "What's she doing-" before being swiftly cut off as she cupped Atem's face and captured his lips with enthusiastic resolve.

Atem blinked wildly for a moment, his cheeks growing hot before his eyes slipped closed and he returned the kiss with shy keenness, even artfully nibbling at Eshe's lower lip, letting his tongue brush gently against it. Eshe pulled back with a sly grin, glancing briefly over her shoulder to spy the agape expressions on the girl's faces.

It felt good to kiss Atem so passionately while making a point to the snooty girls who boldly thought they could claim him as their own, _and_ to once again witness that adorable pink flush over Atem's face.

* * *

The party that occurred the following day was everything Eshe loved. Music, games, dancing, delicious food, and the company of all her closest friends. The atmosphere, however, was somewhat bittersweet. Everyone in the room was aware that it was the last time they would all be together like this, because in just two days, Eshe and Atem were to leave for the afterlife, and it would be a long, long time before the gang would see them again.

So everyone chose to put out of their minds that small fact, and instead they kept their spirits high and had _fun_ , as if this was just another normal get together of friends. When a slower song began to play over the speakers, Atem pulled Eshe close and began to dance with her, ignoring the teasing grins of their friends. While Joey and Tristan were howling with laughter and excitement as they faced each other in _Mario Kart_ , Eshe watched Yugi approach Téa out of the corner of her eye and give her a bright, shy smile.

"Hey, um, I was thinking, maybe we could go to the movies or something? Sometime next week?"

Eshe felt her heart pulse and quickly grabbed the sleeve of Atem's shirt, tugging on it to motion to him the hopeful boy, who was very clearly asking Téa out on a date - and FINALLY - whispering to the blue-eyed girl over by the snack table. Atem glanced up, smirking when he realised what was unveiling in front of him.

"Oh!" Téa squeaked quietly, a slight redness appearing in her cheeks, "I'd love to!"

' _At last!_ ' Eshe thought, her grin doubling in size, and she caught sight of Yugi's eyes flickering towards Atem - to which Atem gave him a thumbs up, causing the younger boy to turn the colour of a tomato. Eshe smiled fondly at the gesture - oh yes, spiritual brothers indeed.

The coy moment was interrupted when Tristan screamed victoriously, shoving his hands up in the air, " _YES!_ First place again! Take that, Joey!"

Joey very quickly accused the other of cheating.

How do you even cheat at _Mario Kart_?

* * *

Eshe released an audible breath, her fingers fidgeting with the small, wrapped box in front of her on the diner table. Their flight to Egypt was at half past three in the afternoon that day, but Seto's driver was picking them up at midday because the CEO didn't trust Joey to be ready by the given time.

It was just past eleven in the morning, and Eshe had something she needed to do first.

"Are you alright?" Atem asked softly across from her, and Eshe gave him a sad smile, nodding her head as she kept her gaze low, resting on the neatly enfolded violet package before her, tied with a sparkly green ribbon.

A sigh left her mouth as she tapped her fingertips rhythmically against the table, leaning her cheek heavily in her palm, and let her eyes scan the room for the fifth time since they'd entered the place.

A somewhat clumsy waitress stumbled from table to table, watching the drinks on the tray she held _very_ closely to avoid dropping them - she looked like a relatively new employee at the diner, evident by the way she moved unsurely, presented herself nervously when speaking to customers, and the way she stopped every few minutes to take a calming breath - clearly she wasn't used to her job yet. She was about Eshe's age with dusty brown hair reaching her lower back, olive skin and blue eyes that blinked furiously, framed with thin lens glasses, as she shuffled around frantically trying to get customer's orders to their tables.

As the waitress passed their table, Eshe caught sight of the name tag pinned to her blouse - her name was Wren, and she was pretty.

The only reason Eshe was so attentive of her was because she had seen the girl speaking several times to her bubbly coworker, Leela.

Eshe had been very aware of Wren's mannerisms while speaking to Leela, and the habitual way Leela responded with silent body language; when Wren spoke to the green-eyed girl, she wore a smile that reached her eyes, she nibbled her lip nervously and she played with her hair, twirling the loose, long strands between two fingers. Leela played it cool, winking as she passed her, and when Wren wasn't looking, she watched her slyly out of the corner of her eye with a look of admiration.

They were crushing on each other pretty hard, and Eshe wondered if it was as obvious to everyone else in the diner as it was to her.

Eshe's eyes fell again to the wrapped gift on the table before her, contemplating exactly how she would present it to the girl who was once her best friend.

The girl who no longer remembered who she was.

The girl who had been manipulated and done some things she had briefly expressed remorse over before her memories were stripped from her.

Eshe didn't know if she had forgiven Leela just yet, or if the green-eyed girl deserved the gift she had so thoughtfully picked out for her, but it just felt right for Eshe to leave her with something, if not any recollection of their times together.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, thank you for waiting!" Wren squeaked as she came to a stop by Eshe and Atem's table, "Whew, this place is pretty busy - I'm still kinda new here so you'll have to forgive me, I've only worked here three weeks-" She put on a very strained smile, clearly a little stressed out by how heaving the diner was for so early in the day.

Eshe gave her an encouraging smile, showing that she was not at all bothered by the long wait, "Just a lemonade for me, please", she spoke, figuring she'd make it easy for the pressured girl.

Wren nodded in affirmation before turning to Atem, "And for you, sir?"

Atem blinked owlishly, before saying, "I'll have the same, thank you." Eshe smirked, wondering if the boy had actually consumed a carbonated drink since he'd obtained his own body.

"Coming right up!" Wren exclaimed with a nod, before disappearing off behind the counter.

While they waited for their drinks, Eshe peered at Leela who was busy serving another table; she seemed happy, lively as she spoke to her customers, a wide, zestful and _honest_ smile on her face, and there was a sort of freedom in her eyes that Eshe had never seen before.

Not weighed down by the events of her past life or the manipulation she'd endured, or even the crippling jealousy that had infected her, Leela appeared to be bright, optimistic and kind - the person she should've been from the start.

Without her devious brother using cunning words to control her, she could finally just live her life, and Eshe felt the sandy-haired girl could naturally travel the redemptive path - and maybe, _maybe_ , they would meet again one day.

Wren reappeared with two glasses of lemonade, each with a striped straw and a wedge of lemon on the rim. Wren delivered them with a smile, she and Atem thanked her gratefully and before the waitress could wander off again, Eshe quickly spoke up.

"Excuse me-" She inquired almost hesitantly, and Wren swung around again with a sheepish look on her face.

"Sorry, I should've asked if there was anything else you needed!" the waitress squeaked, worried she had appeared rude by turning to leave so quickly.

"Oh, no, everything's fine, I just wanted to ask a favour."

"A favour?" there was a slight suspicion in Wren's blue eyes that Eshe found amusing.

"Yes, I wanted to know if you could give this to Leela", Eshe held up the nicely-wrapped box, "It's her birthday, and I want her to have this."

"It's her birthday?" Wren blinked, looking back to the sandy-haired girl who was busy talking to a table full of customers, "Huh. She didn't even tell me. I guess I can deliver it for you, what's your name?"

"I'm… an old friend of her's but something tells me she wouldn't remember me. I don't want to create an awkward situation for her so I was hoping… can you give this to her and say it's from you?" Eshe gave the girl an apologetic smile for the strange request, and Wren blinked, arching an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Say it's from me? I don't understand."

"Please- I know it sounds weird. She won't remember me and I don't want to make her uncomfortable by presenting her with a gift if she thinks me a stranger- especially not _this_ gift." Eshe implored, her eyes pleading and hopeful, "You'd be doing me a great kindness."

Wren bit her lip contemplatively, "Well, this seems very important to you", she smiled, "Alright, I'll do it", she nodded.

" _Thank you_ ", Eshe spoke gratefully, handing the present over.

Wren took it and approached Leela as she finished with the customers, Eshe watched the inaudible conversation take place as Wren offered the little wrapped box to Leela, she could practically decipher the exchange despite the two being out of earshot - the body language was a dead giveaway. Leela seemed surprised Wren had somehow remembered her birthday despite never being told, but the dark-haired girl appeared to come up with an excuse that satisfied Leela - maybe she'd said that she heard it from someone else - and as Leela gently pried the wrapping paper away, Eshe saw her green eyes widen.

The silver chained necklace with a golden-brown tiger's eye gemstone pendant, decorated with tiny rose quartz stones encrusted around the centrepiece, was an item Leela had noticed in a jewellery shop window several months prior - the green-eyed girl had made a playful remark that Eshe should buy it for her when her birthday arrived. Leela had meant it as a heedless joke at the time, but Eshe had remembered.

Leela looked up at Wren with shock, her lips moving inquisitively before Wren stiffly looked over her shoulder at Eshe. Leela had probably asked if she had _actually_ gotten that gift for her; and Eshe smiled encouragingly, nodding subtly.

Wren looked back to Leela, an apprehensive smile on her face, and nodded; Leela wrapped her arms around the girl with unmatched appreciation, and Eshe could read the ' _thank you_ ' on her lips. Perhaps Wren and Leela could create something special together.

Eshe smiled, nodding to herself, satisfied with how everything had unfolded; she looked back to Atem, who was eyeing his lemonade with curiosity, watching the bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass insistently.

"Drink it", Eshe told him avidly, keen to watch him taste the beverage.

He rose an eyebrow and popped the straw into his mouth; Eshe could tell the moment the soft drink entered his mouth. Atem's eyes narrowed and his lips scrunched up briefly as the fizzy sensation travelled over his tongue, unfamiliar and different.

"Good?" Eshe inquired, taking a sip of her own lemonade.

Atem swallowed the mouthful, looked pensive for a moment, and then smiled, taking another sip. "It's weird. I like it."

Eshe giggled, finding the occurrence of Atem imbibing a fizzy drink for the first time rather adorable. If her gaze had been elsewhere, she might've caught the lingering, incisive glance from a pair of curious green eyes.

* * *

The flight to Egypt was long, roughly twelve hours, and the sun was low on the horizon by the time they were flying over solid ground again; Eshe stared out of the small plane window, enamoured as she looked at the land below, her eyes scanning the sandy terrain of the desert as it merged with cities, lights dotted around the urban areas.

She was home, give or take a few thousand years out of the loop. Something welled up in Eshe's heart as she looked upon the land she had lived in three millennia ago, a weird sort of nostalgia that made her clutch Atem's hand a little tighter; he squeezed her palm back in return, offering a reassuring look of understanding.

After the group landed in Seto's private jet at Cairo airport, Eshe and the others exited the plane and were greeted by a shockingly familiar face.

Eshe paused, staring at the Egyptian woman stood before them; she wore an off-white linen dress and there was a shiny circlet of gold sitting upon her head, an emerald hanging down from it. Her hair was black, her eyes were blue, and there was a knowing, warm smile on her attractive face.

"Welcome back, my pharaoh", the woman greeted Atem, bowing her head respectfully, and Eshe blinked her wide eyes, turning to the boy beside her in surprise.

"It's Isis", she whispered confusedly, "How is she here?"

Atem smiled apologetically at Eshe, "This is Ishizu Ishtar. Her family guarded my tomb for generations and she played a significant part in helping me to retrieve my lost memories - we met before the Battle City tournament. Just like Isis, she wielded the power of the Millennium necklace." Eshe nodded as she took in the information, curiously looked back at the woman - Ishizu - and figured she most likely did not hold the memories of her previous incarnation, just like Seto Kaiba. At least, Eshe assumed she was the priestess's modern incarnation - it was a little bit too coincidental given the uncanny resemblance and the fact that she had links with the Millennium items.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, you must be Queen Eshe." Ishizu bowed her head again and Eshe's cheeks reddened slightly as she bowed back.

"It's nice to meet you, Ishizu."

"Ishizu is a museum curator", Yugi spoke as he walked up behind them, giving the Egyptian woman a wave, "If it wasn't for her, it probably would've taken a _lot_ longer for us to learn the secrets of Atem's past." He spoke fondly and gratefully, and Eshe smiled up at the woman, realising just how helpful she must have been.

Eshe's eyes focused on the figure approaching over Ishizu's shoulder and her face fell as she caught sight of another familiar individual. She tensed as she recognised the unmistakable face of Marik Ishtar, the boy who had purportedly done some rather terrible things throughout the Battle City tournament - Atem had spoken about him briefly, how he had used to Millennium rod to hurt them.

She looked searchingly to Atem, and he must've recognised the worried look in her eyes, because he offered another smile of assurance and quietly told her, "Marik is a good person, he was susceptible to the dark powers of the Millennium rod during Battle City, but has since redeemed himself." Eshe trusted Atem's word, dipping her head in acknowledgement before setting her sights on Marik once more, somewhat wary.

The Egyptian boy greeted them as he stopped beside his sister, his violet eyes scanning Eshe's face with wholesome curiosity; he tilted his head ever so slightly, brushing his white-gold hair out of his face, and smiled brightly at the others in the group, as if greeting old friends.

There was nothing amoral in his gaze as she had remembered seeing when watching the duels involving him during Battle City, it seemed that Atem was right, there was no evil in the boy. Eshe smiled in the most friendly way she could, hoping her cautious look hadn't come off as rude before.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Queen Eshe", Marik spoke, more relaxed than before, "I regret that we were unable to do more to assist in bringing your memories back", he told her apologetically.

"Hey, don't worry about it buddy", Joey spoke up as he appeared at Eshe's side, a beaming grin on his face, "Everything turned out a-okay in the end!"

Marik seemed content at the blond's cheerful exclamation, and nodded his head in agreement.

"Now, is anybody else starving or is it just me?" Tristan remarked loudly, and Téa rolled her eyes at the boy's none-too-subtle way of inquiring when they were going to have dinner. Eshe chuckled slightly as Téa grumbled something about Tristan 'only thinking with his stomach', and secretly thought to herself that dinner sounded quite nice - one last big meal before they headed to the Valley of the Kings the following morning, surrounded by her friends, struck Eshe as the perfect way to conclude their time together before the inevitable happened. She would make sure to savour every moment of it.

* * *

 _Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh._

The name struck sadness in Eshe's heart, her steps hesitant as she looked upon the entrance that led down into the crypt, the ancient sepulchre of her husband, Pharaoh Atem. While it was undeniably _weird_ , interlocking fingers with the very much alive boy beside her as they descended the steps into his burial place, it was also frighteningly sorrowful, knowing the even still, the world was unaware of the tremendous sacrifice Atem had given in order to save it.

 _Nameless_ Pharaoh.

He was not nameless. He was Atem. She regretted that the tomb was regarded as a resting place for someone completely anonymous as far as archaeologists knew, but as the air grew mustier and they moved down, lower and lower, the ancient carvings in the walls revealed just how _special_ and _loved_ the tomb's occupant was.

Eshe swallowed hard, her eyes shutting briefly as she silently thanked Priest Seto for putting so much care into building a grave worthy of exhibiting just how important this _nameless_ pharaoh was.

The entire group was quiet, their faces etched with sadness at the inevitable parting of their friends, and Eshe smiled at them even as her eyes watered - she owed them all so much. Even Seto and Mokuba Kaiba had joined them to witness their farewell - the younger brother held a pout on his face while the older of the two looked stony as usual.

The Tablet of Lost Memories was displayed on the wall while the Millennium Stone was placed before it, a carving that was made long ago to hold the Millennium items safely when they were not being used. As Yugi and the others slotted the powerful objects into place, Eshe gazed up at the tablet, scanning the scene depicted.

A slightly mirthful smile reached her face as she looked at the carving of Atem, showing his ever-crazy hair pointing up in all directions as he stood across from Priest Seto, the two of them seemingly locked in the heat of a duel, if the familiar monsters above them where any clue to go by. The carving was incredibly intrinsic and glorious - Priest Seto had truly put a lot of thought into the design of it.

Her eyes fell to the cartouche carving at the base where the pharaoh's name had been chipped away, and she wondered if it made Atem as emotional to view as it did her - probably not, she had always been an over-emotional mess.

When all the Millennium items were in place, Atem appeared by her side, his heavy gaze set on the tablet ahead, and in his hands he clutched the God cards.

It was finally time for them to return to the place they belonged.

She glanced up at him carefully, and he looked back at her, a spark of sadness in his eyes, and she knew why. In all the time Atem had spent in the modern day, both as the Spirit of the Puzzle, and as his own person in his own body, he had grown attached to the group behind them - she didn't blame him, they were such wonderful people, and probably the best friends she could have ever asked for.

Eshe nodded gently, prompting him to do what he had to do.

Clutching Eshe's hand tightly, Atem held up the God cards, willing the gate of the afterlife to open; after a few moments, there was a blinding light, and the tablet on the wall began to part, as if opening up the way. Eshe inhaled sharply, feeling the warmth of the light on her face, and slowly, the scene before her became clear.

Her ancient friends stared back, their faces filled with an emotion that seemed indescribable, an overwhelming feeling that Eshe could only compare to the sensation of seeing a loved one after years of being apart. It was something she felt upon reuniting with Atem after her memories had returned, and it was something she felt that very second as she stared at everybody who had made an impact on her in her previous life.

It was time.

Eshe and Atem turned slowly to face the rest of the group.

Nobody spoke for a few moments, and Eshe noted the way their jaws clenched, the glossiness of their eyes, and their bawled fists at their sides.

Yugi forced a smile, "I guess this is goodbye", his voice broke part way through his sentence as his eyes flickered to Atem. Eshe swallowed around the lump in her throat, realising how hard it was for Yugi especially to be saying farewell to the boy he had come to see as his older brother.

Eshe looked to Téa, giving her a tearful smile as she held out her arms; the brown-haired girl stepped forward immediately, swinging her arms around Eshe in a tight hug. With a commendable attempt to keep the blubbering out of her voice, Téa whimpered, "I'm going to miss having a _female_ friend."

Eshe snorted, rubbing her own eyes as she tried to keep it together; she always admired Téa for her incredibly caring, kind nature - the girl was intuitive and always well-prepared, and Eshe was truly going to miss her very much.

Joey and Tristan fought intensely not to cry, but in doing so they only succeeded in making their faces scrunch up comically, their mouths drawn into quite extreme pouts as they blinked frantically to dispel the tears in their eyes.

Despite the boys' knack for teasing and giving sarcastic remarks, they were both incredibly considerate and benevolent - Eshe would absolutely miss watching them wrestle each other over the outcome of their video-game battles. They scooped her up in huge hug, practically squashing her as they sniffled about the good times they'd had.

Yugi looked up at Eshe as she turned to him, through his wide and tearful gaze, smiling despite himself. Her jaw clenched as she stared at the slightly shorter boy and her lips parted when she realised something of great significance.

If it wasn't for Yugi Muto, the Millennium Puzzle would never have been reassembled. If it wasn't boy the young boy standing in front of her, Eshe and Atem would never have been brought back together - Yugi was the deciding factor in their destiny, the boy who was so unselfish, good-natured and determined, just like Atem.

"Thank you", Eshe whispered, "All of you- for everything. For bringing Atem and I back together", at last, the tears in her eyes fell down her cheeks, and she embraced Yugi with all the gratitude she could muster.

Yugi seemed speechless for a short moment, blinked wildly before hugging her back; at that point, Joey and Tristan took it upon themselves to initiate a group hug, pulling Atem and Téa into the affectionate bundle of friendly compassion.

Eshe _thought_ she heard Seto exasperatedly grumble, 'oh, brother', but it _might_ have just been in her head.

When they all pulled apart, Atem glanced over at the icy CEO, and stepped slowly up to him, a knowing smirk on his face, and then, quite unexpectedly, Seto held out his hand with an accompanying eyeroll.

Atem grabbed his hand in a respectful rival's handshake and Seto glared down into Atem's self-satisfied face, "This isn't the end, _pharaoh_ , I will find a way to duel you again."

Atem chuckled, "If you say so, Kaiba." The exchange was oddly endearing in Eshe's eyes.

When Atem returned to Eshe's side, he faced the group, a doleful smile on his face, "If it wasn't for all of you, I may still have been trapped within the Puzzle. You are… the greatest friends I have ever had", he paused, choked up with emotion, and took a deep breath, "Téa, Tristan and Joey, thank you for all you have done for me, and Yugi…" the smile on his face wobbled as his lip quivered, but he managed to maintain it, "Out of all the people in history that might've been able to solve the Millennium Puzzle, I am forever thankful that it was you."

The rest was left unspoken as Yugi's face scrunched up slightly, and he dipped his head in a nod, his eyes full of nothing short of utmost admiration.

The afterlife was calling to them, willing them to follow the warmth of the light, and Atem slowly turned to face the gate, his eyes landing on Eshe with a spark of hesitation in his features.

"You are… completely sure of this?"

Atem's words surprised her - as if there was any way she could change her mind now. No, Eshe had already made her decision.

"I go wherever you go", she told him softly, and his mind was eased.

With fingers intertwined, together, they stepped forwards and passed through the gates.

* * *

 **Notes: Oh gosh, guys, the next chapter is the epilogue aka the final chapter. I am having an emotion. In the next chapter, the usual ending author note will be at the top of the page, and I also have a little announcement to make about my next fanfiction project that might make some of you guys happy ;)**


	36. Wherever You Will Go

**IMPORTANT NOTES: I wanted my comments to be at the top of the page instead of pushing in at the end. This story has come to an end, I never expected when I began this story that I would gain so many WONDERFUL readers and I never actually thought I would be so inspired throughout this story that I would actually have the motivation to complete it. It's really all thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, I would never have gotten to the end without you, and I'm so happy and grateful for all of you. THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart!**

 **I have GOOD NEWS for everyone who has enjoyed this story! This is not the end of Atem and Eshe! For a long time now, I have planned a second story that will be like a collection of oneshots from the lives of Atem and Eshe, HOWEVER, it will take place in a semi-alternate universe in which Atem and Eshe were allowed to live the rest of their lives on Earth with their friends, and would enter the afterlife when they passed. This story will be a tad more interactive in that I will take requests from reviewers for things you want to see happen! I do not yet have a title for it, but for the moment, lets call it the 'Oneshot Fic' for the sake of identifying it.**

 **I will begin writing for the Oneshot Fic after I come back from my two-week holiday to Florida, which I leave for on the 28th October, so expect the first chapter of that to come from mid - late November. Remember to add me to your author alert list so that you can see when I post that story! I will be starting it off with a mature rated oneshot, but most of the oneshots after that will be overwhelmingly fluffy/adorable genres. If you have any questions regarding it at all then feel welcome to send me a private message!**

 **Finally, before you read the final chapter, I just want to say an enormously special thanks to MetallicalyLove for being my utmost biggest source for motivation, affectionately promising to kick my butt if I didn't update on time, and delivering some absolutely wonderful essay-long reviews that had me laughing and squealing with happiness as I read them - and above all, thank you for becoming such a wonderful friend of mine and always making me smile.**

 **Please enjoy, and as always, please review ;)**

* * *

Transcending Time

Epilogue: Wherever You Will Go

Eshe felt like she was walking on starlight and swimming through a sea of caressing warmth.

A peculiar thing it was, to die. One moment Eshe was all too aware of the dull ache set within the muscles of her arms and legs, which were a lingering result of the fierce battle in the Outer Dimension, she could still feel the heat of the air on her skin as she and Atem passed through the gateway, each step bringing them further from the living realm, and the next moment, nothing.

It was vaguely alarming and sudden, the way all the minute pains in her body just simply dispersed and vanished, leaving nothing but an odd sense of calm content. The tiredness that had been clouding Eshe's mind was gone - she was awake, serene and placid.

She couldn't see Atem. The dazzling light was far too great, though her eyes did not seem to want to look away.

Then, suddenly, she could no longer feel the presence of Atem's hand in hers.

"Atem?" her own voice sounded far away and dream-like; she reached out around her, searching for his touch again, and as each second passed without him by her side, the more the bubbling anxiety in her stomach grew.

Until the bubbling anxiety ceased to exist, and her mind was flooded with unexplained tranquility; despite Atem's unforeseen disappearance, Eshe felt that there was nothing to fret about, and that patience would reward her with his company again soon.

A hush breezed through her mind and her eyes fell shut, and then the soft warmth of the Egyptian air enveloped her skin.

She opened her eyes, the light retreating to reveal a familiar and very spectacular sight; Eshe was home. Blue sky and orange desert sands greeted her, the sight of a great kingdom laid out before her very eyes, prosperous and bustling with happiness. She could hear faraway music playing, as though some sort of celebration was taking place, and the wonderful smell of delicious food wafted from _somewhere_ , bringing buzzing pleasure to her senses.

Eshe stood on the balcony of the palace's royal chambers as she did many thousands of years ago, looking out over the city that Atem had saved after his three-day rule as pharaoh; everyone was there in the afterlife, smiles on their faces, happy. It made Eshe smile with unbridled joy.

She turned quickly, leaving the balcony to search the room for Atem, figuring he had to be nearby; he was nowhere in sight, but the visage of their shared room brought wonderful memories back to her. She stepped forwards, running her hands along the linen sheets of the blessedly soft bed, she recalled the times they slept side by side, encompassed with security and love.

Her gaze was drawn across the room to the vanity desk which held a vast array of jewellery, and with precise eyes, she spotted a familiar item that made her beam; sitting unconcernedly upon the rich wooden surface, amongst gold and jewels, was the jade hairpin from the market stalls that Atem had gifted her as children.

Without hesitation, she plucked it up and affixed it into her hair; the small jade carving of the bird with its wings outspread matched with the beautiful lapis necklace Atem had presented her with as an engagement gift left her gleeful, both of the items were extremely sentimental to her, it made her happy that they hadn't been left behind in the living world and had, in fact, followed her into the afterlife.

Atem wasn't in the room, which meant he must've been elsewhere in the palace; without another minute to spare, Eshe headed towards the door, desperate to find the boy she loved so dearly.

The throne room was the obvious choice, so she endeavoured to check there first, because if she were an elusive pharaoh, that's probably where she'd end up; her sandals clacked against the smooth stone as she walked, and her white and gold embroidered dress swayed in time with her movements.

She remembered the passageways and halls of the palace well; a sweet sense of nostalgia thrumming deep within her mind, bringing a smile to her face as she walked. She passed by palace guards, servants and maids, all of which beamed at her, bowing their heads in respect; she bowed back, greeting them like old friends. She felt more and more at home with each person she met.

Eshe rounded a corner and slowed her brisk pace significantly, not quite to a stop, but the sight of Priest Seto speaking with Priestess Isis by one of the wide apertures caught her off guard; it wasn't that she didn't expect them to be here, but the prompt appearance of them made her heart pound.

"Queen Eshe", Isis's eyes widened very slightly as she noticed the girl, a small smile reaching her face. Eshe eyes shone with watery emotion at the priestess's exclamation; for a brief moment she had wondered if, after three-thousand long years, the people she knew would remember her face. The delight and surprise on Isis's face was evident of the answer.

Priest seto turned, his piercing blue eyes as stern as ever, but Eshe saw the miniscule twitch in his face that softened his expression as his gaze rested on her; biting the inside of her cheek, Eshe offered the man a smile, "It's good to see you both again", she murmured softly, wondering whether they were aware of everything that had happened with Atsu. Isis nodded to her, while Seto continued to give her a long, drawn-out look that made Eshe swallow. Perhaps he was unaware of the events that had taken place, and still believed she had willingly taken her own life all those years ago.

"Seto, I'm sorry-" she began, but the blue-eyed man stopped her.

"I apologise for everything you have gone through", Priest Seto told her, his voice steady and meaningful, "I have been informed of the troubles you have faced, and why you had to face them", he paused, his gaze lowering briefly, "I regret that I was not efficiently watchful enough in the past, after Atem's sacrifice. It is my fault that Atsu was able to do what he did…"

Eshe shook her head, eyes glossy from his words, "No, Seto, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known", she smiled again, "Besides, that is all in the past now. Atsu is paying for his sins."

His blue eyes rested on her for a moment longer before he blinked, nodding his head; after a few seconds of staring, he spoke again, "...It is good to see you again."

Eshe beamed, it was somewhat surreal seeing them again, it made her excited to think of who else she might run into in the heavenly realm; there were so many people from her past life that she wanted to see again.

After bidding Seto and Isis goodbye, Eshe continued to make her way towards the throne room, her steps increasing in speed at the prospect of finding Atem.

The delicious aroma of freshly cooked meat made her pause in her brisk steps, and she hovered past the hallway that lead to the kitchens; the sound of enthusiastic chattering caught her attention and Eshe's head tilted curiously, she was sure she knew that voice.

Following her nose, she was lead to the meal hall; there were a handful of people in the room, eating quietly together, except for one person. Eshe blinked, a smile forming wide on her face as she caught sight of Mana talking animatedly about the spread of food before them, by her side was Mahad, and a little further down the table, Rura.

Mahad was the first to notice Eshe approaching, quickly standing as she drew closer, "Queen Eshe", he breathed, the pleasant surprise on his face evident; and as he spoke, Mana turned as quick as a lightning bolt, and her eyes became as wide as saucers.

"ESHE!" the girl screeched, her face alight with joy as she leapt from her seat and practically dived at the queen, her arms wrapped tightly around Eshe with extreme eagerness, and for once, Mahad didn't stop her and remind her of her manners.

"Mana!" Eshe squeaked back in surprise, a rush of elation flooding her senses at the keenness of her old friend; immediately Mana began to hastily speak, with little coherency, about how long it's been, how happy she is to finally see Eshe again, how proud she is, and so on- Eshe was barely able to keep up with the girl's words as she tightly squeezed her.

Mahad watched them with a warm smile, giving Eshe a nod of greeting, his way of reunion was a little more composed, electing not to scoop Eshe up in a crushing hug like Mana was prone to do.

Eshe could only smile, but she did note the spark of remorse in Mahad's eyes, possibly blaming himself for Atsu's actions just like Seto did; why was everyone so ardent on holding responsibility for the nefarious actions of others? Eshe would speak to Mahad a little later and assure him that the only person Eshe held accountable for Atsu's actions was Atsu.

When Mana finally peeled herself away from Eshe, her brown eyes were glossy with tears and her lip was quivering uncontrollably, "I'm so glad you've finally come back to us, Eshe", she whimpered, "You and Atem both, though I haven't actually seen him yet… I hope he turns up soon", she wiped away the wetness on her cheeks and beamed brightly, "He's probably wandering around looking for _you_!"

Eshe blinked, a thoughtful look on her face, hoping that Atem would _assume_ Eshe would head to the throne room first - it was the logical place to find a mighty pharaoh, after all. She smiled, nodding her head, "I'll find him, and then we can all hang out like old times!"

Mana let out a cheerful yelp, reminiscent of an excitable puppy, and Eshe chuckled, turning her attention a little ways down the banquet table.

Rura's steely grey eyes watched her, an impassive look on his face, and Eshe frowned slightly, the recollection of his brave sacrifice coming back to her; she took a step down the table and gave the boy a strained smile. "Rura, I am so grateful to you. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been able to overcome Atsu… so, thank you", she bowed her head to him, and his eyes broadened a little. After a beat of silence, his mouth formed a small smile.

"I am glad I could be of service", he spoke simply.

Eshe's smile grew sad, "I'm sorry you were stuck in that place all this time, only to sacrifice yourself the moment you left…"

"Don't be sorry", Rura said, plucking a sugary date from a bowl on the table with his nimble fingers, "I was never meant to exist in the modern world, I did not belong there. I belong here", his eyes flickered over to Mana and Mahad, his mouth curling in the corner with a smidgen of amusement as he held the date up to his lips, "I think I missed these the most."

As he popped the small fruit into his mouth, Mana pouted, crossing her arms, "Nice to know we were missed, Rura", she grumbled slightly, and Eshe giggled softly, glad that the boy was content. She looked over her shoulder, shifting on her feet, wondering if Atem was waiting for her in the throne room.

"Go and find him", Mahad's voice drew her attention back and she looked curiously at him, the master magician smiled, "I can tell you're itching to return to him."

"Yeah, go find Atem, and then bring him back so we can all have lunch!" Mana snapped with a grin, "We've got a whole three-thousand years to catch up on!"

Eshe chuckled, nodding her head, "Thank you, I'll bring him back", with a wink and a wave, she turned on her foot and left the room, falling once again into a brusque pace towards the throne room. She felt a little guilty leaving her friends so quickly after reuniting with them, but her heart was pushing her to find her husband as quickly as she could - she had to know Atem had gotten to the afterlife alright, though she was pretty sure it would be quite a feat to get _lost_ on the way there given how linear the passage was - and as Mana said, they would have time later to catch up.

At long last, Eshe came to a stop in front of the throne room doors, and the guards on either side were happy to open the way for her; as the entrance opened, Eshe's heart pulsed for the brief moment her eyes were bathed in golden light, but as it cleared, she noticed that Atem was not sat in his throne.

Atem wasn't even in the room, but somebody else was.

Atem's father, Pharaoh Aknamkanon stood by the base of the steps leading to the throne, speaking amicably with two others.

Eshe's mother and father.

Long, black hair cascaded down over Sabiya's shoulders, the silky locks ruffling as she turned to face her daughter; her tanned skin was gorgeous and clear, and her eyes were lined with kohl, making the gold-speckled brown of her irises stand out warmly. Her smile was dazzling, she looked young and beautiful and far from sickly as she had the last time Eshe had laid her eyes upon her.

"Mama?" Eshe whispered, her shaky hands rising to cover her mouth, lips parted with shock.

"Yes, my dear Eshe", Sabiya spoke, her voice melodic and tender. The woman held out her arms and Eshe's eyes began to sting with welling tears, her feet taking her towards her mother of their own accord.

"Mama", was all Eshe could say, practically speechless at the sight of her stunning mother who was standing right there before her; the last time they had been together, Eshe had been five years old in her _previous_ life, never once had she forgotten the woman's beguiling appearance. Eshe stepped forward into those outstretched, loving arms, resting her chin against her mother's shoulder as she let herself cry.

"Eshe… it's been far too long", Sabiya whispered against her ear, "You've grown into a beautiful, kind woman, just like I knew you would. I am so proud of you", she trailed off, running one of her hands through Eshe's hair. The action was simple and oh so affectionate, and made Eshe feel warm as she basked in her mother's love.

"I missed you… so much", Eshe whimpered, hardly able to believe she was seeing her mother again; it was something she had dreamed of so many times in her past life.

"Oh, my darling… I never truly left you", her mother whispered, there was a hint of a smile in Sabiya's voice and Eshe pulled back slightly to look up at her mother through bleary eyes.

Over Sabiya's shoulder, Eshe watched her father, Nizam, smile broadly at the touching reunion, stepping closer to place a comforting hand on her back.

"I was always with you, Eshe. I wasn't able to speak to you, but I spoke to the birds", her mother spoke, "They heard me. They helped you when I could not."

Eshe blinked a few times to will her tears away, the soft realisation of what her mother's words implied tickled her consciousness and made her feel cherished. Her mother had been with her every step of the way, throughout all the hard times she faced, and with her guidance, the birds helped her overcome the things she faced. Anxiety, loneliness, and with their help, she and her friends had defeated Atsu, all thanks to her mother.

"...thank you, mama", Eshe whispered, smiling gratefully at the elegant woman; she relaxed in the embrace of her parents, "I… I'm so happy to see you again."

"As are we, my child", Nizam spoke softly, "It broke my heart when I left the living world to find that you were nowhere to be seen; I'm glad you're finally with us again."

Eshe was glad, too. It hadn't crossed her mind until she'd entered the throne room that her parents would be there to greet her and welcome her home.

Pharaoh Aknamkanon smiled at the heart-warming scene, nodding his head cordially as Eshe caught a glance of him; it reminded her that she was still searching for a specific someone.

"Have… you seen Atem anywhere?" Eshe asked tentatively, a hopeful look in her eyes, and Aknamkanon's smile brightened further.

"Indeed, I have. He was looking for you", the man answered, and Eshe's eyes widened briefly.

"Do you know which way he went?"

With a soft chuckle, the man responded, "I believe he was headed in the direction of the palace gardens."

Eshe blinked; _of course_ that's where Atem would be. Excitement bubbled inside her, she needed to find him, but she didn't want to walk away from her parents - they hadn't seen each other in three-thousand years.

Sabiya gave her daughter an amiable look, "Go, my dear Eshe, go and be with him."

"But what about you?" Eshe asked gently, her eyebrows furrowing apologetically.

Her mother winked, "We have an eternity together now, my child, I can wait just a little longer for you."

Eshe's gaze softened, looking up at the graceful woman whose love for her was endless; she rubbed her eyes free of the emotion that tried to force its way out and gave her mother a watery smile, "I love you mama, papa", she murmured softly, "I'll be back soon."

Her parents watched her as she turned and scurried out of the throne room, practically speed-walking out of the room before breaking into a swift run as soon as she had entered the corridor.

Sabiya giggled softly, "She's truly head over heels for your boy", she spoke, glancing over her shoulder at Pharaoh Aknamkanon, who chuckled in return, nodding his head.

"I'd always known something marvellous would come of their friendship", Aknamkanon agreed, and Nizam gave the man a knowing look.

"Just like we both planned", Nizam said, an unusual note of mischief in his voice, and Sabiya rose an eyebrow at him.

"Come, Nizam, you can't tell me you actually planned for them to fall in love", the woman murmured dubiously, a skeptical eyebrow arched.

Running a hand through his hair, Nizam shrugged slightly, an almost sheepish look on his face as he glanced from Sabiya to Aknamkanon and then back, "Why do you think we made a deal and moved Eshe to the palace in Lower Egypt?"

"It was my own suggestion", the man beside him admitted, "I believed it was a great way to truly unite our kingdoms as one."

Sabiya looked between her husband and the old pharaoh with an astonished expression, "Well, aren't you two just a couple of schemers."

Both of the men had the decency to look bashful in response; Nizam quickly spoke up, "Now, now, Sabiya. We never forced anything into their heads!"

Sabiya smirked, "I should hope not. Our girl has always has always been clever; if you'd even once tried to push anything to happen between them, I'm sure she would've caught onto your plan in an instant."

Nizam put his hands up in defense, "But I didn't push for anything to happen! It happened by itself!" His tone was playful, knowing that his wife wasn't truly in protest of his admission.

"Good, because if she had suspected you for one moment of trying to arrange a marriage for her, she would've rebelled ruthlessly", Sabiya laughed, "I know my girl, she would never stand for such a thing."

Nizam shrugged his shoulders, a reticent smile on his face, "That's exactly why I didn't push anything."

Aknamkanon looked genially between the bickering couple and smirked, "I believe it was fate that those two fell in love."

Sabiya gave the pharaoh a contemplative look, and then smiled softly, "They have something very special… I think you may be right."

* * *

Eshe was at least ninety-two percent sure that the booming voice she heard echoing after her as she ran through the palace hallways belonged to a somewhat disgruntled Shimon. " _No running in the palace!_ " he had called after her, and there was a tiny chance he probably hadn't noticed it was her, but Eshe felt beyond a shadow of a doubt that Shimon knew _damn_ well it was her sprinting down the corridors, sandals clacking loudly against the stone floors. Some things never changed.

But Eshe didn't have time to stop and apologise; running past the familiar apertures of the courtyard, she swung around down the few steps into the wide open space that held the decorous clay pots and the exquisite water fountain that nudged fond memories into the forefront of her mind. She recalled the times Atem and herself had sat beside it, spending several hours a day just _talking_ together.

They were sweet memories, but nothing was sweeter than the memories of sitting with the boy in the palace gardens, surrounded by nature and the soft singing of chirping birds.

Eshe stared at the arch that led to the gardens, an odd, tingly anticipation building in her stomach; she had only been with Atem not too long ago as they entered the afterlife gates together, but it already felt like a lifetime had passed.

The palace was a big place, but Atem had sense to the know eventually Eshe would've ended up in the gardens of all places - it certainly took her long enough, so Eshe hoped the boy had waited patiently for her instead of heading elsewhere when he realised she wasn't yet there.

This wild goose chase had gone on far too long for Eshe's liking.

Eshe took a breath, a deep inhale and a heavy exhale, and took three long strides through the arch and into the garden.

It was as beautiful as she remembered.

Rich, bright colours overpowered her gaze, vivid and delightful; the sight took her breath away and filled her with an evocative sense of nostalgia. The vast array of different shades of green implanted a ecstatic sensation within her mind, her eyes travelled across the grass and shrubbery to the radiant flowers lining the garden, soft and gentle pastel hues of violet, yellow and pink danced in her vision, putting a euphoric smile on Eshe's face.

The trees dotted around the open area cast rustling shadows upon the ground and Eshe could smell the scent of nature all around her as she stepped forward, inhaling the sweetness of the flora and fauna.

Her eyes fell to the pond and her heart pounded in her chest, her gaze trailing from the shimmering water to the boy knelt beside it, his back turned to her.

For a while, Eshe simply stared. The regal purple cape draping from his shoulders looked to be of a silky and luxurious material, the golden sapphire earrings hanging from his earlobes shone in the warm, encompassing sunlight, and his ever-spiky hair stood up in all directions, as it always did.

The brief moment in which Eshe was stunned seemed to pass, and she took another step closer, her sandals tapping against stone.

Atem's head tilted before he looked over his shoulder and Eshe felt her breath catch in her throat.

There was never a time in her life that she had seen Atem looking more at peace and _alive_ as he did in that very moment, which was rather ironic because technically neither of them were alive anymore, and the appearance of the growing smile on his face only succeeded in bringing tears to her eyes.

This was how Atem looked when he was free of worries and void of conflict, completely and utterly tranquil and happy; there was nothing left to trouble him, nothing threatening him or anyone he loved, and it truly _showed_.

His eyes, jubilant and deep with that gorgeous purple she had always adored with stray flecks of magenta hiding around his pupils, were unparalleled in beauty; he stared at her with such a profound look, it made her feel special and significant.

His skin, golden tanned and flawless, appeared almost radiant in the light of the sun; his cheeks peppered red with an intense excitement and happiness that she hadn't seen on his face in such a long time, made her knees wobbly and weak.

He looked grand in his kingly attire, enhancing his allure tenfold; Eshe sniffed as she looked at him, not even bothering to try and quell the tears running steadily down her face.

Atem's head tilted and his lips parted, but before he could speak, Eshe darted towards him, arms spread wide to swing around the boy. His foot jerked back in preparation of the impact and as she flung herself at him, he picked her up and swung her around, letting out a note of rich, baritone laughter that sent wonderfully pleasant tingles down Eshe's spine.

"Eshe", the boy chuckled, though his voice was strained with emotion, "Why are you crying?"

With her face shoved into the crease between his neck and shoulder, Eshe let out an uncontrollable whine, " _I don't know_ …"

Atem pulled back, his finger moving below her chin and encouraging her to raise her head, she spied the unshed tears in his eyes very clearly; his divine face was almost too much for Eshe to handle, she knew _exactly_ why she was crying - her brain hardly knew how to react to seeing a boy so pretty, so it defaulted to forcing emotion to leak from her face.

The cut that had been very prominent on Atem's cheek was completely healed, leaving no scar, nothing to suggest anything had hurt him in the first place, and his once heavily-bruised hand was back to its normal tan colour, not a blackened mark in sight. The boy wiped Eshe's tears away with a thumb against both of her cheeks and the girl blearily noticed the object clasped around his wrist.

The dark green malachite stones, speckled with light spots, were attached securely to the fastened bracelet he wore, the very item she had gifted him on his twelfth birthday, was back where it belonged.

"Atem", Eshe whispered, looking up at him through watery eyes, "Stay with me forever."

He smiled, blinking rapidly to dispel the tears in his own eyes, "I wouldn't dream of leaving you again."

She relaxed in his embrace, ducking her head below his chin as she leaned against him, his body warm against her's, and a content sigh left her mouth.

"I love you", Atem whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against the side of her head.

"I love you too", Eshe breathed, raising her head to face him again, and her eyes flickered to his lips as his tongue darted out to wetten them; she smiled slyly, gently biting her own lower lip.

"Can I kiss you?" Atem asked softly, and Eshe's eyes glinted in the rays of light blessing them from the sky.

"Do you even have to ask?" she inquired rhetorically, before pushing up on her tiptoes to capture his lips with her own.

Atem's head dipped, deepening the kiss immediately, and his hand trailed up from her back to her neck, gently rubbing his fingers through the shorter hairs on the base of her head - the gesture was simple, and yet it overflowed with affection and made Eshe shiver delightfully.

She felt as though she could kiss him forever, but she settled for a few passionate minutes until Atem pulled back, his cheeks adorably red and lips spread into a wide smile; he embraced her again, pulling her tightly against himself as he let out a joyous laugh, a beautiful noise of which Eshe couldn't help but join in with.

The feeling of holding and being held by someone who loved you so dearly was a feeling Eshe would cherish forever and never forget, especially a love so unconditional and true, pure and warm; safe and sound.

A love that transcended time, and death.

* * *

The end.


End file.
